An American in Berlin
Author: Jim Smitty
Date: 2024-07-11T13:42:08.541000+00:00

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Table of Contents URL: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/an-american-in-berlin-redux.485561/reader/

Waking Up Pt I

Tampa, FL
Chamberlain High School’s Teacher’s Parking Lot
November 16 2018

“Why didn’t I say in the bloody army?” I asked for the thousand time as I made my way to my beater car. This was as I juggled with the paperwork for both by own classes at USF along with the six periods of history students’ essays, I had to grade. Granted I had Thanksgiving week off, but it really wouldn’t be off. Not with all the work ahead of me. I had about 150 essays I had to read on the First Gilded Age as I viewed it at this point. I wondered how many of these three-page essays would be just total hot trash. Then there was, my own unfinished essays for my master courses I was taking for USF master’s economics program I needed to finish with one being due next Monday than another the Monday after that. My whole week off was going to be a massive week of reading, writing, and grading papers. Not the best way to spend Thanksgiving week.

There was that reason I was asking myself again why I didn’t stay in the army again. I enlisted in the army almost straight out of high school and volunteered to be an 18X, a recruit coming in straight off the street and trying to make it into the Special Forces. Only one in hundred made it through that kind of training cycle, but I was brave enough to think I could be the one. I made it through OUST at Benning just fine. Same for Jump School. I ran into problems at the four-week Special Forces Preparation Course through. I finished the course, but failed it. So, I restarted it three months later only to finish it again but fail for a second time.

At that point I lost my 18X contact and got assigned to the 82nd Airborne as an infantry soldier. Not even a week after getting to my unit I found out I was assigned to Task Force Devil and headed off to Afghanistan. That was my first tour of duty in combat. I spent 12 months in Afghanistan, only to be rotated back to the states in spring of 04. Then in winter of 04 I found myself reassigned to the Third Infantry Division as a newly promoted corporal and given a fire team. Less than a week later we found out we were going to Iraq.

January 05 was my first time in command when lives were on the line. For my troubles in that tour of duty I got a star for my combat infantryman badge, a bronze star with V Device, and a purple heart. We rotated back to the states in January 06. By this point I was already questioning if I wanted to reup past 08. One of those things about 18X contacts, you sign up for six years. I had four done and two ahead with Iraq becoming a fucking mess.

Somehow instead of being assigned to a line unit when new orders came up for me at the end of 06 I ended up assigned to Fort Benning’s 29th Infantry Regiment to help train new recruits. It was a nice chance of pace from the line. During this time, I got caught up on my needed courses and when through Warrior Leader Course and got my third stripe. Also did a few other courses where I got my 11C quals to go with my 11B qual status along with doing BNCOC. But by the end of 07 I had decided I had enough even though I could had applied for green to gold. Looking back, I should have done it. Then again could have should have would have.

However, months before the end of my six-year hitch in the army I got reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade and was stopped lost in early 2008. I was deployed back to Iraq for another tour of duty there. During that tour I earned my rocker to my stripes and got a squad to go with it. But I just wanted to stay alive at that point. Got through the tour without earning another purple heart for which I was thankful for. I got my DD214 a month after we returned to the states in April 09 and I left and didn’t look back at the time.

Knowing what I know now, I could had been an OE-3 at this point and given the army was promoting anything with a pulse to O-4, I could have a good retirement line up already. Instead I when to USF and when on to earn a double major in history and education using my GI bill to pay for the cost of tuition. For cost of living I returned to Publix where I worked in high school and a few months after before I shipped out of OUST at Benning back in early 02. I finished with cum laude honors in 2014. I didn’t even have to wait for a job as I got an offer to teach here at Chamberlain before the ink on my diploma was dry.

After the end of 2015-16 school year I had figured out even though I loved history being a teacher was not something I could see myself doing for the next 20 years of my life. I barely made 40k per year which wasn’t jack when you threw in how much I had to buy for classroom and unpaid work I did grading papers. After a night of drinking with an old buddy from my army days who was station at MacDill during that summer I decided to return to USF and get a master’s degree in economics with the hope I could get a better job that paid better than my current job. I had already had a few talks with the recruiters from Raymond James Financial which was promising. But given everything I been through I wasn’t counting my eggs till they hatched.

With all of my papers in the back seat of my 01 Camry I hoped in my driver seat as I started my way home. I turned up the new Eric Church album up as I started off to the house. I shared rent with a guy I use to work with at Publix who was now a department head there. Yet given what he was making and his girlfriend was pushing for their own house I knew I would soon be looking for a new roommate. Yet as I was signing off key to Solid, I was trying to push that out of my mind.

When the light turn green I push forward with my trip home. Only to hear a horn and looked to my left to see a car doing at least 80 bearing down on me. “Fuck.” Was my last word before that car stuck the driver side of my Camry. The next thing I remember was the world going black from the impact.

Unknown Location
Unknown Time

The next thing I remember was white hot scorching pain as I started to come to. It hadn’t hit yet that I should be dead after being T-boned like that. Then again the pain was all consuming. If felt like my head was getting ready to blow up as the pressure in it was worse than the worse migraine I had ever suffered. My left arm felt like it was being ripped off at the bone but it kept going. Those were the worse but damn it if everything didn’t hurt like I had when 12 rounds with Lucifer himself.

As I was trying to get my bearings I finally noticed something other than my pain. “Sir, can you hear me?” I heard as the sound of wood was being torn by brutal strength from the sounds of it. But my first thought was why this person speaking German? I had taken German at USF when I had found out that my high school Spanish wouldn’t be accepted for the foreign language part of my degree. I could speak German fluently as I had picked up the language with ease. I was only conversationally in Spanish. But I couldn’t not for the life of me think why someone would be speaking German to me.

Then I heard another speak, “Oh lord all the blood are they going to die?” This was a woman’s voice. She was also speaking German. ‘They?’ what the hell was going on. I had been alone in my car when it was T-boned. How could there me another person with me? What the hell was going on.

Finally I opened my eyes and quickly saw I was not in Kansas anymore. I spoke as the pain was slowly going away, “What happened?” I asked. My voice was weak, but it was not the voice I had only moments ago. Just asked that to the list of questions I had at this point.

Waking Up Pt II

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport
March 10 2019

“Finally” she said as she heard the announcement that her flight was now boarding. Currently she was on vacation from work. After travelling to Australia last year on her vacation she decided she wanted finally travel to Africa and enjoy its natural beauty. So, for the past few months in her spare time she had been researching and setting up this trip to Kenya. She was already a day into her vacation so she was happy that her flight to Nairobi was finally ready to board and take her to her final destination and see something more than airports.

She knew there was risk in her travelling by herself, but in her 37 years on this rock called Earth she hadn’t found a man she wanted to marry. Her few friends back home didn’t enjoy her globetrotting so unless she decided to go someplace tame, she was normally travelling by herself. She however took steps to make sure nothing happened to her during these travels. The big one was every drink had to come in bottle form and no open top drinks. There were other rules to her travels through that however was a biggest one. She knew on the black market a woman of her beauty would bring in a lot of money, but she wasn’t going to allow fear rule her life. She wanted to see the world, and damn it she was trying to see as much of it as she could.

Even though she was 37 years old, if you didn’t know better you would assume, she was in her late 20s at the oldest. During her life she had been told countless times that she could have been a model or a trophäenfrau. She however had brains to go along with her beauty. That might have been the reason she was still single and at this point in her life she had accepted that fact. It didn’t mean she didn’t like it, but her mix of beauty and brain was simply too much for most men to handle. The few men she had met that could handle her mix of beauty and brains were the ones who wanted her as a trophäenfrau. She enjoyed her work and travels too much to give up to be eye candy.

Her passion was travel. With what she was paid by BASF she had been able to see a lot of the world. She had travelled to the United States, Japan, China, Australia, and Egypt just to name a few of the places she had been since finishing up her degree in Chemistry at University of Hamburg and being hired on by BASF. And not counting the places BASF had paid her to go. She was hoping next year to visit South America and visit her sixth continent. She doubted she would ever be able to visit Antarctica, but there was always that outside chance of a possibly she might.

With her work as BASF being on in petrochemical field through, she really didn’t hold out hope she could travel to Antarctica. She however wasn’t thinking about that as she made her way to the boarding gate to start the adventure in Africa. It took a few minutes but she was greeted by the Ethiopian Airlines ticket taker. The ticket taker spoke, “Thank you for flying with Ethiopian Airlines.”

She replied, “Thank you as well.” At her gymnasium she learned how to speak French fluently. Then at her university she also learned how to speak English fluently. She had also picked up a bit of Spanish, Japanese, and Arabic over the years. No where to the point she was even conversational in them but she knew at least a few words and a couple simple sayings.

With that behind her she walked gang way and found her seat. Once there she put her bag into the overhead bin and took her book out before closing the overhead bin. It was some trashy airport romance novel that she brought when she had set out for this trip. It was a secret she didn’t tell anyone about, but she honestly enjoyed these novels. Given how many stamps she had on her passport she really didn’t pay attendant to the flight attendant who was going over the safety briefing. Then again, she most likely could stay it word for word at this point, so she focused on her book.

It was when the plane was in a deep dive that she looked out the window which she was setting by. “Scheiße.” Was her last word moments before Flight 310 crashed into the ground.

Unknown Location
Unknown Time

Pain was the first thing she noticed when she started to come to. The kind of pain that burned deeply and made you wish you were dead type of pain. For her what was in the most amount of pain was abdomen. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn’t feel anything else as her mind had become focused on the pain that started in her abdomen within moments.

She then heard, “Sir, can you hear me?” That caused her pain inflected brain to question something. How could she still be alive. When she saw out the window the aircraft she had been in was at a damn near straight nose down dive. You don’t survive that kind of impact with terra firma at that speed. Then there was the fact she knew from the perfume next to her she had been sitting beside a woman. So why were they asking about a guy? Was there a guy behind her that she missed?

The came a woman’s voice, “Oh lord all the blood are they going to die?” She was having problems understanding how she was even still alive at this point. She should be dead, with no questions asked. Yet she clearly had feelings across her whole body, but it was nothing but agony at the moment. But she could feel, and hear. So, the question that was being asked, how am I not dead?

She opened her eyes to try to understand what was happening. She looked around trying to understand when she heard a man near her spoke weakly but clearly, “What happened?” Then the pain became too much for her and she closed her eyes to try and focus on a better place than the hell she was currently in.

Waking Up Pt III

Berlin
Near Kronprinzenpalais
March 10 1888

The pain was finally started to recedes after speaking. Not to stay that I could get up and run a 5k anytime soon, but I at least didn’t want to die because the pain was that bad anymore. I finally opened my eyes and looked around. This clearly was not the piece of shit Camry I had been driving only moments ago. This looked like some type of wooden carriage which answered at least one question, but it also raised about a dozen more questions. I was honestly wondering what the hell was going on.

Moving my eyes around to get a better idea of what was going on, they came to rest on the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. If I didn’t know better it looked like something had when into my brain and found out what my perfect dream woman was and put her next to me. I didn’t even know her name but damn it if I didn’t want to date her. There was only one problem, who ever she was out of it. From the looks of it, was in the middle of a miscarriage, a bad one too.

I heard that guy speak again, “Crown Prince can you move?”

‘Crown Prince?’ What the fuck was going on here. This sure as shit wasn’t hell but I was fairly sure this wasn’t heaven either. So, was this purgatory? I discounted that idea fairly quickly through. It wouldn’t be like this from what I knew via religious studies in college as part of my work on my double major. I knew one thing through, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to the woman next to me. “Help her first!” I said in German since everyone here seem to be speaking German. My voice was still rasp but it clearly was not the voice I had only moments ago. Then again, I wasn’t wearing the clothes I had been only moments ago, so at the moment it was a mystery to solve at a later date.

“We are trying to get to your wife, but we need to get you out of here first!” The guy said. ‘Wife?’ Well ok then this day keeps getting stranger by the moment.

“If anything happens to my wife,” I can’t believe I just said wife. I had come to accept the fact unless my luck changed soon, I was going to die as a bachelor. “I will beat you like a redhead stepchild! Do you understand me?” I said when strength I didn’t know I had. I looked at the guy who had been talking to me. I could see the look of confusion on his face by the phase I had just used. There however was the moment of understanding and it looked like he had almost shit himself.

“Yes sir.” He said and moved over to start removing the wood and whatever there was that had trapped my ‘wife.’ It was at this point I had finally well enough to try and move more than my eyes and I tried to get myself out of this mess so I can help them get this woman out of this.

<*>

Even through she had her eyes close she could still hear. She had just heard that whole conversation and that left her with many questions. But she had been to the United States enough times to know of the beat you like a redhead stepchild phase. However, the man next to her spoke with a High Prussian accent and his command of German was damn good, possibly fluently. That didn’t make a damn bit of sense to her.

Before she could speak through the pain became so bad, she let out a bloodcurdling scream as she felt something happen. The question shifted from how could the guy next to her be using an American idiom but be speaking in a High Prussian accent and have perfect command of German, to how the hell was she pregnant!? And giving birth no less?! It had been months since she had taken a man into her bed, so this should be impossible. Then again, the part of mind that wasn’t focused on the pain knew everything in the past few minutes was simply impossible, and her being pregnant was just another impossible thing that she needed to clack up to something but what she didn’t know.

She then felt another contraction and she tried to push. Enough of her friends had kids to know of at least the basics of childbirth. It was also why they didn’t want to travel with her unless she when some place tame, they had generally started their families whereas she had been child free. Or had been before this whole mess.

After that contraction passed, she heard that guy again, “Princess, we are going to lift you.” ‘Princess?’ She was seeing red at that. She had worked too damn hard in her life to be someone’s princess. Before she spoke through, she remembered they called the man next to her the crown prince. They had said she was his wife. This begged the question of where and more importantly when time she was. Most likely her ‘husband’ had the same questions as well judging by his use of idioms.

Before she could speak through, they started to lift her out wherever she had been trapped in. It happened quickly from what she could tell. Then she heard the woman who was there, “Get the midwife!”

Waking Up Pt IV

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 10 1888

Over the past few hours, I learned a few things. The things I had learned led me to two different conclusions. The first and least likely of the two conclusions was I had a nervous break down and had been Baker Acted[1] and was now in a padded room somewhere in a straitjacket and all of this was a figment of my imagination. However, I was getting closer and closer to dropping this as one of the two conclusions I had been able to draw to date. If it wasn’t for a few details I would had already dropped this as one of the two possible conclusions I drew, but the devil was in the details.

The reason as time passed, I was getting away that I been Baker Acted was simply me remembering my Intro to Psychology class I took during my first time at USF. I had retraced my steps since stepping out of my classroom as I made my way to my beater. Then the car accident. My story should stop there, and I should be either in heaven or hell. I believed my balance scale would allow me to go to heaven, but who was I to question the wisdom of the almighty? However, my story didn’t end with the car accident and I was here.

Currently the devil was in the details, but there was a reason I was having issues accepting my other conclusion. Namely I had looked into the mirror after finding out who I was. Currently I was playing the amnesia game. Given what happened and the fact I had a good knot on my head people were confused but accepting it. I had learned the date and I found it hard to believe I was in the late 19th century in the German Empire, but it did explain a lot.

However the details were that keeping me from fully accepting that somehow my mind had been transported to the 19th century and into this body was the mirror. I have learned that I had landed into Crown Prince soon to be Kaiser Wilhelm the Second’s body. But it was the details. My left arm was still crippled, so that matched up with what I knew. But it was the mirror that had caused me to really question the information I had learned.

The face of the body I now had controlled of did not match the memories I had of how Wilhelm looked. Yet, everyone swore I was Wilhelm, the Crown Prince of Germany. I seemed to be taller than what I recalled Wilhelm being standing almost two meters tall. My body was tone, not a body builder tone, but clearly someone who had taken good care of himself. It however was the face that was the biggest piece of this puzzle that I was having placing.

Simply put the face look like it belonged to a male model. Even with the Kaiser Wilhelm moustache, it was clearly a face that you would see on some guy in a magazine trying to sell you cologne or something of that nature. Wilhelm never looked that good in any of the pictures I saw. So, unless the almighty decided to give Wilhelm a few tweaks, I had no other answers for what the hell happened. However, if that was the case why couldn’t he had fixed the fucking Erb’s Palsy?

In my time here, I had also learned that woman I had seen in the carriage that had been wrecked was my ‘wife’ Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein or Dona as everyone close to her called her. That was the other piece of the puzzle I was having trouble fitting. Simply put that woman, was my dream woman even if she had been mid-way through a pregnancy. I knew damn well Dona wasn’t that kind of woman from the photos I have seen of her. So, did almighty give her some tweaks as well? Or was their something I was missing. I honestly didn’t know.

My thoughts were interrupted, “Sir, I’m sorry.” She started. I started to rush to the room she had just come from as I felt a power connection to that woman.

<*>

The pain was finally starting to receding she thought. That had without question been the most painful thing she had ever when through. Then again that’s what happens when you stuffer a stillbirth. The question she was asking herself, why did she have to suffer through that if she couldn’t had been there for the fun part? The child such as it was had already been taken away for whatever was next for such an event. She never even saw the child she gave birth to.

Currently she was resting as she was trying to put the pieces together. Granted much of the past few hours she had been in pain she never before had been through, but she had learned a number of things. The big one she was somehow in the body of Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. There however, was one big damn problem with that. Dona as she was being called by the people around her never looked this damn good. Never mind recovering from a stillbirth.

She had always been a beautiful woman. Yet it was clear her beauty had been taken to another level. On her best days she never would been put in the same league as Jordan Carver or Sophie Howard. They were in a higher league than she had ever been, and she had already been in a high league of beauty. But unlike them she never cashed in on that beauty. Yet, she knew Dona never came even close to having that kind of beauty.

That left her with a lot of questions. How going with the Arthur Conan Doyle train of thought of “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” She knew that she was really in a body of a striking stunning woman in the 19th century. Based on the way everyone acted she was now in the role of Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein but clearly not in that body. So, there was questions but she had largely accepted that as fact.

As she was resting, she heard a commotion in the room next to the one she was currently laying in recovering from the childbirth she just when through. When the doors open she lifted her head up and saw the most handsome man she had ever seen. The kind of man she had dream of since her days at university to find, well at least in the looks department. There however was the question of the mental side as well. But for reasons she couldn’t explain she felt close to this man already.

The small woman who had been the midwife, “Crown Prince, your wife needs time to recover.”

‘Ah,’ She thought. This is the new Wilhelm? Why couldn’t whoever did this fix his arm was one of the next questions that came to her mind.

“Leave us, I need to speak to my wife.” This ‘Wilhelm’ said with steel in her voice.

‘This should be fun.’ She thought as she watched the midwife leave knowing she wasn’t going to win this battle. Once the doors closed the two looked each other in the eye as if sizing the other up. No one spoke for what seem the longest time before ‘Wilhelm’ spoke, “Are you ok?”

[1] For those of you not from Florida, being Baker Acted means placed in a 72 hour an involuntary psychiatric hold. Like the more famous 5-1-5-0 from California.

Waking Up Pt V

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 10 1888

She tried and failed to hold back her laugh. Whoever Wilhelm was, he was an American, and that was such an American thing to ask she had to laugh. At least he cared through. Wilhelm looked at her confused, “What’s so funny?” He asked in perfect German.

As her laughful stopped she decided to speak in English, “You are such an American.” She answered.

Wilhelm cocked his to the side, “What makes you think I’m an American?” He asked in Spanish.

Dona looked at Wilhelm a bit surprise he spoke in Spanish. She then switched to French just to have some with this, “I’m shocked an American who can speak three language? Can we get four?”

Wilhelm shook his head, “I know that’s French but I have no idea what you just said.” He said in German.

Then there was a moment of silence between the two as they each got their thoughts together. It was Dona who spoke first, and she spoke in German, “To answer your first question, I’m feeling better. But that stillbirth is going to have me on by back for a few days.”

Wilhelm then walked beside to her bed, as he brought a chair next to her bed and sat down. “What was the give away that I was not Wilhelm?”

“Beside the fact you are standing just a hair under two meters tall you mean and look like something ripped out a magazine?”

“Yeah, beside that.”

“It’s the idioms you speak with. No one in Europe would speak like that.” There was a moment of pause between the two before Dona spoke again. “The question has to be have you ever been anywhere outside the United States?” She was trying to get a plan together in her head. But if Wilhelm couldn’t come off as a German they were going to be screwed.

She could see a sad look in his eyes when he answered, “Yes, I been outside the United States. One tour in Afghanistan another two in Iraq.” Wilhelm answered. He really didn’t like talking about his time in combat. This was because he knew of all the risk he and his friends took it didn’t amount to shit. Iraq and Afghanistan were still burning and most likely would be for years if not decades to come. At least his father who had served in Vietnam didn’t have the reminders of their failures on the nightly news for a decade after they had left the service. All because the higher ups screwed the pooch when making decisions. Something he wanted to keep from happening here in Germany.

Dona paused for a moment before speaking again. “I didn’t mean to touch a sore spot.” She said with a hint of regret in her voice.

Before she could speak again, Wilhelm did. “You didn’t know. You had no way of knowing.” Then there was a brief pause, “So how about we start off with some background information so we know what we are playing with here so we can move forward together.” He was also trying to build his own plan in his head, but knew it was going to take time to build any long term plan never mind the shorter terms plans needed to achieve a long term plan. However, this picturesque and intelligence sounding woman could be a helpful hand in making those plans.

At this point the two started to speak frankly with each other as they learned about their prior hopes and dreams along with their regrets from their past lives. They also learned about what they both brought to the table. The one thing they didn’t learn was their past names. They decided for their own sanity they were now Wilhelm and Dona. Their past names didn’t matter anymore.

They also learned that each had different side effects from being casted into different bodies. Dona it seemed had the memories from before she took over the body whereas Wilhelm did not. However, Wilhelm did have a large bump on the head, so that might had something to do with it. Wilhelm however still had a crippled armed from Erb’s Palsy whereas Dona had suffered through a stillbirth. The one thing they couldn’t explain through was how come both of them looked like models ripped from a magazine.

During this whole conversation there was no talk of a personal relationship between the two of them. The talk was of a professional working relationship to achieve their plans. Plans which at the moment were more merely ideas with no idea of how to get from point a to point b. They both were carrying their own baggage on personal relationships and had largely accepted the fact they were never going to get marry before waking up here. Even though both felt attraction to the other person in this room they simply didn’t broch the topic.

Waking Up Pt VI

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 10 1888

Given the events of the day, both Crown Prince Wilhelm and the Princess Dona took a small dinner in the room that Dona was in. The two of them had lost themselves in the conversation that started shortly after they had a chance to meet for the first time properly and had to be reminded by their staff that it was time to eat. The first time in the remains of the carriage didn’t count for a proper meeting. The dinner was a simple affair of jägerschnitzel with Dona pairing it with a red wine while Wilhelm was drinking a pint of Bock.

Before either of them took a bite of food Wilhelm spoke after the servants had left raised his beer glass in toast and waited for a moment who raised her own wine glass. Wilhelm then spoke, “He either fears his too much, or his desserts are small, Who dares not to put it to touch, to win or lose it all.” Quoting the Montrose Toast perfectly in German. Wilhelm then took a pull of his beer.

Dona was somewhat taken back by Wilhelm’s choice in toast but took a drink of her wine. Before she took a bite of her schnitzel, she spoke, “Why that toast?” She didn’t know of the Montrose Toast but she could hear the meaning of it in the way Wilhelm spoke when he said it. There was a reason he picked that toast and she wanted to know why.

Wilhelm had already taken a bite of his schnitzel so it took a moment before he could answer. “We have a chance to do something really great here, or royally screw the pooch. So, it’s go big or go home, the Montrose Toast just says it far more poetically than I ever could.”

After Wilhelm neither spoke for a few moments as they were both enjoying their schnitzel. Then Dona finished what was in her mouth first before speaking, “I never heard of it before, however it is poetic. What however is your goals?” During their conversation many ideas had come up but neither of them came out and said what they wanted through.

With Wilhelm shallowing his food, “Beside not losing the First or Second World War?” Dona nodded in agreement with that statement, “Do at least create a German Commonwealth based on the British model but tweaked to make it work better, if not make our colonies view themselves as Germans and make them every bit of German proper.”

That goal made Dona near choke on the food that she was eating. Wilhelm looked at her wondering if he would have to give her Heimlich maneuver. After she coughed and took a drink from her wine, Wilhelm sat a bit easier than he had been a moment prior. Then Dona spoke, “That’s ambitious. Beyond ambitious the more I think about it. How to you plan do to that?”

“I have a few ideas I believe that they will work but I want to refine them later. But I also want to acquire a few different colonies.” At that Dona raised an eyebrow. “The big one is the Congo Free State from Belgium. There are others through. Also depended on if the Ottomans can be saved or not, the oil producing reasons of Arabia.”

At that Wilhelm took another bite and Dona spoke, “That’s a massive plan. But given you seem to care a lot about foreign affairs, I have a feeling there is more to your goals.”

“Yes there is.” Wilhelm said, “I want to create a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. The Balkans if at all possible. To cripple the French to the point they aren’t a threat. Basically, be the master of Europe.” Wilhelm said. He had always been a fan of playing Victoria II and Europa Universalis IV, and he knew he had a bit of an imperialist in him. Yet this wasn’t as simple as those games.

Dona looked at him for a moment before speaking, “You know the British will never allow that.” She might not been the student of history that Wilhelm was but even she knew the British would react badly to those efforts.

“True, but right now the British fear the Russians more than us, so we us that then we turn and deal with the British.” Wilhelm said. Then there was a slight pause, “What are your goals Dona?”

Waking Up Pt VII

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 10 1888

Dona thought about it for a moment. From what Wilhelm had explained about his past life he had trained in the soft sciences only. He did have an active interest in mechanical things, notably firearms and engines. Such American interests. However, given their time these interests will be useful. Plus, his military background would be useful. Even through she detested the Iraq War, she wasn’t a pacifist, but she also wasn’t the clear imperialist that Wilhelm was. If the war was just, she could support it through. So, in this time frame she would try to thread the needle. As unlike Wilhelm she didn’t believe the Weltkrieg was something that was bound to happen.

It however was clear that Wilhelm passion was foreign affairs. Then again that made since with his education background of history and economics. Given his intelligence, Dona briefly wonder why he didn’t try to get into the foreign service. Then she remembered who was leading his nation before his ‘death’ and his hard feelings on leadership for not allowing them to win as he put it. This Wilhelm through seemed to have the ability to play coy well enough and understood the basics of realpolitik could make him a true player there.

For herself, Dona cared more about domestic issues. She briefly thought about trying to get into politics while she had been at university. She normally leaned to voting for the SPD when she went to the polls. However what drove her away from trying to get into politics was a relationship with the only long term partner she ever had. That memory of what she had walked into had caused her to give up any effort to become an active member of the SPD along with ending that relationship.

After thinking about it along finishing the food in her mouth, “I think most of my goals would be on the domestic side of the question whereas you focused mostly on foreign affairs.”

“So, a division of the labor?” Wilhelm asked.

“In a manner of speaking, yes. Even through you hold the majority of the power in this relationship, there would be a division of labor between the two of us. The question is how to you feel about democratic socialism?” She knew the stereotype most Americans had on democratic socialism, but even through he came off as very American she believed he had a far more open mind than most.

Wilhelm didn’t answer at first. It looked like he was trying to find the words to say. “I’m more open to the idea than most Americans. I have my questions on some it but I’m open to the idea.”

“So basically, you are agnostic on the subject for lack of a better word?”

“Yes, for lack of better word, I’m agnostic on democratic socialism.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them as they both ate more of their schnitzel. Then Dona spoke again, “One of the keys to our future success is stemming the tide of Germans leaving Germany for the promise of a better life in the New World. Do to that we need to give them a reason to stay. We can’t fight a fair fight on purely economics with the United States.”

“So, you don’t fight fair? That’s what you are getting at?” Wilhelm replied.

“Yes it is.”

Before Dona could go into detail there was a knock at the door. Wilhelm spoke, “Enter.”

At that one of the servants entered the room. “Sir your father was informed of your carriage accident. When he returns to Berlin from his trip in Italy he will be visiting.”

“Very well. Please shut the door on your way out.” Wilhelm said.

Wilhelm then looked back at Dona, “Please explain how you plan to do this?” At which point Dona explained what she wanted to do.

Laying the Foundation Part I

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 12 1888

Germany currently was having a moment. The first Kaiser of Germany had died. Then again given his advance age this had not been surprising news. He fought in the Befreiungskriege after all, so his death through depressing was expected at this point. The news through that was causing Germany to have this moment through was the news of the carriage accident of the newly named crown prince of Germany and his wife. The news that Dona had suffered a stillborn birth was well known at this point. There were other events from that crash that were being kept secret from the general public but were known at the highest level of the German government and those of the various royal houses of Germany. It was this information that had the more senior leadership of Germany in a tizzy.

Crown Prince Wilhelm’s injuries well all of them were publicly were not widely known. Publicly it was known that he had suffered a concussion. With the bump on his head, that was kind hard to hide. The amnesia that he was suffering from through was not publicly known. It however was the talk of the senior leadership of the German government and various royal houses within Germany. There was also growing talk within the wider senior levels of foreign governments of this. Given how it had only been two days, no one was really sure how this would affect Germany and the wider world.

Kaiser Frederick the Third who still haven’t performed his coronation was viewed as the likely leader of Germany for the foreseeable future through. Outside Wilhelm and Dona no one knew if would only be a matter of months before he to would die. It was known he was having problems speaking and was sick but few seem to understand it was terminal cancer at this point.

At the moment both Dona and Wilhelm were waiting to receive Frederick the Third and Victoria at their current residence. They both knew it would only be a matter time before they would move again to a new castle. It was the move to the Kronprinzenpalais which had caused the carriage accident. Dona was still too weak to stand as she was still recovering from the stillbirth she had suffered through. Yet she was properly dress for receiving the Kaiser and Empress Consort of Germany. It seemed there was a lot of effort for a woman to get dress in this day in age.

Wilhelm himself was wearing a properly fitted suit. He knew that the Wilhelm he had replaced had worn almost nothing but military uniforms, but for a man who had served over seven years in the army with three combat tours under his belt it felt wrong to wear a uniform to boost his ego. There would be a time and place to be in a uniform but this damn sure wasn’t it. So, he had opted for one of the few suits that was in his wardrobe. Like Dona’s wardrobe all the clothes in it seem to fit their new measurements. It was just another odd moment since the two of them landed into their current bodies. He however made a note to himself of having to buy more suits for future use so he wouldn’t go through the few he currently had to quickly.

At the moment Wilhelm was standing next to the bed that Dona was resting in. Then one of the servants came in, “His Imperial and Royal Majesty, the German Emperor, King of Prussia and Her Imperial and Royal Highness The German Empress, Queen of Prussia.”

It was a bloody mouthful Wilhelm thought. But the royal couple walked into the room. Dona lowered her head as given a proper curtsy was out of the question with the doctors wanting her on bed rest for a few more days. Wilhelm also bowed before his ‘father’ and ‘mother’ as he understood there were royal protocols that had to be followed. He and Dona had both brushed up on these so they could better fit into their new world.

One thing that became painfully clear was how sick Frederick was. He was pale thin man who was clearly being destroyed by cancer. Both Dona and Wilhelm had seen cancer destroy love ones prior to waking up in the 19th century. They knew what they were looking at. They were also wondering how Frederick was even standing, he was that weak and sick looking.

It was Victoria who spoke for the couple that had just entered the room. “How much of this is true?” She asked right a worried mother would be asking on hearing information before hand and was worried how bad of position her children were placed in.

Laying the Foundation Part II

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 12 1888

Dona took the lead in this simply because she had the memories of the real Dona, where Wilhelm didn’t have any of the memories of the real Wilhelm. Oddly enough as Dona searched her brain, she found none of the real Dona’s personality or conscience. It was as if she simply had the memories of Dona downloaded into her brain as it was transplanted into this new body. Neither she nor Wilhelm had any idea the forces at play here, they simply decided to try and make the best of the situation.

“Mother, my husband has no memories of any of us, prior to him waking up in the remains of the carriage that was bring us here.” Dona said in as a neutral tone as possible.

Both Vicky and Frederick looked at Dona for a moment than moved their glaze to Wilhelm. Before either of them could speak, “Mother, Father please take a seat.” Dona said as she looked at her Kaiser. Frederick looked weak and was about to fall over as he was unable to support himself standing up right.

“Please father, have a seat.” Wilhelm said. His own real father had been wrecked by cancer and he seen enough to know Frederick didn’t have long in this world. This was even without his knowledge of history that was to come.

It took a few seconds but everyone in the room was sitting. Vicky then spoke, “I believed you said Wilhelm had no memories? Yet, he knew my husband was his father.”

“Over the past two days me and my husband have a number of long talks in effort to find his memories from prior to the crash. We talked about a number of subjects in effort to do this, including you and your husband. Nothing has seemed to worked so far.” Dona said.

There was a moment of silence that fell over the room. Then Frederick pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper and started to write something down. Everyone allowed Frederick to write. Both Vicky and Dona knew from their own memories that Frederick couldn’t speak anymore. Wilhelm knew this from his study of history. Frederick than hand the piece of paper to Vicky who read the note. Vicky then looked at Frederick and he nodded.

“Wilhelm where to you stand on Bismarck?” Vicky asked.

It was a moment before Wilhelm answered. “Bismarck was critical in uniting Germany and for that he should be applauded for.” Wilhelm and Dona were both watching the faces of Vicky and Frederick as Wilhelm spoke with keen interest. “However, he is holding Germany back from reaching its true potential. Germany is winning the battle of the bedroom with the French, but what good does that victory do us if the fruit of those victories travel to the New World in search of a better life? His support of the conservative even reactionary policies is pushing the sons and daughters of the Fatherland away from the Fatherland. This needs to end and the sooner the better.”

Dona and Wilhelm agreed they needed to slow migration of Germans to the New World if for different reasons. The look on both of the faces of Vicky and Frederick was one of shock. They knew that Wilhelm had been drifting into conservative circles prior to the carriage accident, but to hear him speak like this was unexpected. With Frederick being unable to speak Vicky decided to press. “Does this mean you support a British type of constitutional monarchy here in Germany?”

“Yes and no.” Wilhelm replied.

Before Wilhelm could explain what, he meant by that Vicky decided to press even more. “What does that mean Wilhelm?”

“The soil here is different and to try plant a British seed here in the soil in Berlin is doomed to failure. We need to cross hybridize ideas from both Germany and the British Isles to create a system that will work here in Berlin.” Wilhelm wanted to say ideas from the United States as well, but he didn’t believe either Vicky or Frederick would react well to such an idea. “Further we must take care to plant the seed carefully and tend to it as it grows slowly.”

Both Dona and Wilhelm had been talking a lot of politics over the past few days as they got to know each other. They both had liberal outlooks for their nations of origin. The thing was what counted as liberal in the early stages of the 21st century than the tail end of the 19th century was radically different things. They had come to understand as both them talk about their goals. They have an idea where they were going, but Wilhelm had largely agreed to allow Dona take the lead here as he focused on the military and foreign affairs.

Vicky looked at her son as if he was truly seeing him for the first time after he spoke. “Do you favor an alliance with London or St. Petersburg?” It was known that in the halls of Westminster saw the Russians as the true threat at becoming the master of Europe. Vicky was still very much loyal to her home country along with the country of her husband. This created pains for her as she was fearful if another war happened, she would be forced to choose between the nation of her birth and the nation of her husband.

“I want to see Germany ally itself with the British Empire.” Wilhelm said carefully. He knew sooner or later there would be war, but if the first Weltkrieg saw London allied with Berlin and Vienna than he could set the table to make Germany the master of Europe. His idea was still very rough but he believed he could do what everyone else before him had failed to do, and the best part yet he would get the bloody British to help him.

Laying the Foundation Part III

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 12 1888

After speaking at some length, the four of them broke up into two different groups. With the funeral of Wilhelm the First of Germany coming up, Crown Prince Wilhelm and Frederick when off to another room to deal with the details for that. Frederick knew he was too weak march in the funeral procession of his father and wanted to make his son and the Crown Prince of Germany could still remember how to perform this duty. This left Dona and Vicky in the room Vicky was recovering in.

Once the two men had left the room Vicky looked straight at Dona, “What happened to you in that accident my child?”

“Mother what could you ever mean?” Dona was trying not to panic. However, she was worried that she had done something to give away she was really not Dona.

“You have never been a baston of liberal thoughts or ideas prior to this accident. Now though you seem to support some of the ideas that my son has come to adopt since the accident even more so than my son does.” Vicky said. Granted the ideas of her son now were far more liberal than they had been prior to this accident, they weren’t as liberal as her own.

Thinking on her feet, “I’m trying to build up a connection with my husband again. I don’t what to lose him, so by beating him supporting it might help rebuild the connection between us.”

Vicky looked at her like she was stupid, “Oh my child you have nothing to worry about. Anyone can see my son is deeply in love with you.” Vicky knew that simply from the way her son looked at Dona. It was the type of love that burned deeply and with passion. She knew that looked from her own husband. “My son hasn’t said nothing about his love for you yet?” She asked in surprised.

“Mother, the past few days have been a whirlwind of him trying to remember and failing. He didn’t even know our own children which was a hard shock to both him and our children.” There had been one short meeting between Wilhelm and his “children” and that did not go well yesterday. “I believe he is so overwhelmed with everything he didn’t say anything.” Dona was really wondering if Wilhelm loved her or if it was lust. She knew how she felt, but she didn’t trust her own heart with her past.

“Once myself and Frederick leave here, take Wilhelm through the events you have cherished with him. Get him to speak of his love for you, because my son is deeply in love with you.” She decided to let it go at that. There however was something in the back of her mind that happened to Dona as well. Her personally was different even through she knew every thing when she pushed on it unlike her son who truly had no memory prior to waken up in the remains of that carriage.

Laying the Foundation Part IV

Berlin
Schloss Charlottenburg
March 14 1888

I was in full military dress uniform right now. Damn if it wasn’t heavy with all the medals and awards, I had on it. Anytime I moved my medals jingled. Granted when I wore my prior military dress uniform there was a light jingle as I had a small fruit salad on my chest, but damn this was something else. I must of have at least a kilo if not two worth of medals on right now. This made marching in the funeral procession of Wilhelm the First even more fun to make sure everything stayed perfect. Throw in the fact I had to wear a sword; I was thanking god this was not an everyday uniform.

Events here at the Schloss Charlottenburg were still on going with Wilhelm the First having been laid to rest a few hours ago. I currently had Dona by my side. Unlike me she sat with my “father” as the doctors wanted it her to take it easy still, but she didn’t have to stay in bed anymore. I was thankful for this, as the fact I was “suffering” from amnesia was well known within the courts of the various royal houses of Germany. I was meeting with the various kings, dukes, and other notable royals of Germany along with other mover and shakers in Germany. It was borderline overwhelming.

Given it seem everyone understood or at least expected I would soon be Kaiser and was suffering from amnesia everyone wanted to know where I stood on a number of key issues. I was trying to keep my cards close to my chest at the moment. It was like that old Kenny Rodgers song the Gambler. You got to know when to hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away. And know when to run. It was also good advice for politics I was learning. I think none of them knew how soon I would be Kaiser through. I think most were expecting a year maybe two, not the three or so months it would be.

Even with everyone knowing that I was suffering from amnesia they still said a few kind words to Dona as well given what happened to her. Well almost everyone. There were a few who paid no mind to her and when to talking straight to me as if she wasn’t there. I was making a list of who these people were, there would be hell to pay for this. However, the time would have to be right for that. This was not the time to go on the warpath to try and get Germany where me and Dona wanted to get it. Time was our ally in this. Their time would come through for their rudeness would be remembered and punished.

Currently things were dying down here as it was starting to get late. I wanted to get back to my castle and have a long talk with Dona about a topic she had started yesterday. I think we were both gun shy about that topic as we only spent a few moments before we became uncomfortable with it and moved on to other topics. I however had issues I had to talk about with Frederick and Vicky tonight, but I didn’t know what those issues were. They had asked to speak with me and Dona after this event but didn’t say about what.

I was currently speaking with Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria. I got the very clear feeling from Luitpold that he hated the Prussian position within the German Empire. However, I sense no ill will against me from the man. He wanted to rebalance the power positions within the Empire to give Bavaria a larger voice within the Empire. It was understandable. However, I wanted to forge a more united Germany. My plans such as they were an odd mix of German, British, and American ideas. Kingdoms/Duchy etc would all still jockey for power, but it would be in the Reichstag not in the current system which frankly was confusing as all hell.

As we were speaking of the status of Elsaß-Lothringen a royal orderly came up to me. “Sir, the Kaiser wishes to speak to you and your wife.”

I turned to Luitpold, “We should carry on this conversation at a later date.”

“Very well Crown Prince.” Judging by the tone of Luitpold he didn’t know where he stood on me at the moment. I hoped I made a good first impression with the man.

At that though I followed the orderly with my wife beside me. A few moments later we were standing in front of the Kaiser and Empress Consort of Germany. The orderly left the room after the formal introductions and shut the door on his way out of the room. Once the door was shut Vicky spoke for Frederick. “My child, we have spoke with Bismarck,” You could hear the hate Vicky had for that man in her voice, “about what regnal name my husband should take. We didn’t give Bismarck an answer, but this is a question that has to be answered soon. We would like to know where you stand on this issue.”

Thinking things over for a moment, “I believe Frederick the Fourth is a fitting name given we are continuation of the old Holy Roman Empire.” I had honestly when back and fore on this issue for a moment, but had come to the conclusion this current German Empire was really a continuation of the old Holy Roman Empire. The government was too decentralized to truly allow the empire Bismarck had created to be viewed as a new empire in of itself. If there were less powers in the various kingdoms, duchies, etc and more power in Berlin then it should be Frederick the First. But given the current political power dynamics it was more Holy Roman Empire than people believed. I really needed to fix that when I became Kaiser.

Another reason I liked the Holy Roman Empire conclusion was simply because when the first war came, it would open up claims to various places that dated way back centuries. I wanted a strong and enlarged Germany for the simple fact I knew a cold war was very possible in the future, even more so after my moral coil was up. Well assuming I didn’t get my mind put into my son. To win such an event I would need a strong and powerful nation built now. But this was decades in the future.

Vicky took back over, “Bismarck said legally Frederick the Fourth would create legal problems. He wants my husband to go with Frederick the Third.”

“That man only cares about Prussia. He fails to understand what he created sometimes.” I said quickly. Then again, I knew from my study of history he was starting to lose his touch at this point in time.

“Explain.” Vicky said wondering where I was going with my train of thought.

“We need to understand we are all Germans now. Not Prussians, Bavarians, Hanoverians, so on. By saying you should use Frederick the Third regnal name is a symbol to the rest of Germany, that this is really just a Prussian Empire in trying to pass itself off as a German Empire. By going with the Frederick the Fourth regnal name you are showing to the people of the Fatherland that Germany is united as one.”

I paused for a moment, “If its still a legal problem you could always have two regnal names. One for Germany and one for Prussia. We need to create a sense of German nationalism, and Frederick the Fourth would help in this.” As I made my case for this. I couldn’t get a ready on Vicky yet, as she was hard to read. Frederick through was easier to read. Maybe because he was sick and having a hard time hiding what he truly felt. But I could see he was supported of this idea of mine.

Laying the Foundation Part V

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 17 1888

Currently me and Dona were going through the effects that the old Wilhelm had in his office. We were looking for information to bring us up to speed on the current political state of Germany. Dona had something of an idea via her memories of the old Dona. Yet, that understanding was no where viewed as complete or complete. Vicky had agreed to spend some time with us so when the time came in a year or so we could take over. Even she seemed to understand her husband’s time on this earth was limited at this point.

The only person who seem to not understand that Frederick’s time was limited was Frederick himself. Then again, he had waited for decades to replace his father only after being sidelined by his father and Bismarck. He only now had the chance to change things in Germany yet he was already dying. This had to be a bitter pill to take, and my hunch was he was refusing to take it. But he understood what was done to him, and he was making an effort not to do the same to me.

So far, we have found some fucking gems in the old Wilhelm’s effects. The letters from General der Kavallerie Alfred von Waldersee were a read page turner. I already didn’t have a high opinion of the man from a historical lens. These letters however sealed his fate with me, I was going do everything in my power to make sure this man didn’t gain the power of being the Chief of the General Staff. This was challenging because he was already the de facto Chief of the General Staff already as von Moltke the Elder had basically when ROAD. Its been a long time since I used that acronym, but it was the truth with von Moltke the Elder at this point. He had retired on active duty.

We have talked about giving the letters to Frederick as proof to make sure von Waldersee didn’t get the job. Frederick was against the anti-Semitic movement that was building in Germany right now. The man had visited a few synagogues in full uniform as a statement against it with Vicky in toe. I have talked about doing the same with Dona as part of an effort to kill the anti-Semitic movement here in Germany as well. Neither me or Dona prior to this had been all that religious prior to this. I had been more spiritual prior to this whereas Vicky had been agnostic. This through had made us both question those believes.

The problem through in giving these letters to Frederick, might back fire. It was clear other letters from the old Wilhelm had been sent to von Waldersee given how these letters were written. It was unknown if von Waldersee still had no letters, but if I was a betting man, I would bet he would. With the unknown it wasn’t worth the risk. But it was clear to the me and Dona that this man had to be kept from the levers of power here in Germany.

Dona and I had also been talking about other things we would have to do in the near future. Being a senior royal meant we had jobs to do. With the doctors clearing Dona to return to that role we would be starting that tomorrow. So we were trying to get the most time here so we can hit the ground running. We still disagreed on a few things but we had found common ground on most topics. The main disagreement was if the Weltkriege was something that could be stopped or not. Other than that, we were in agreement on most issues.

For are personal relationship we were taking small steps forward at the moment. It was clear that we both felt something for each other. We were both still trying to figure out how to move forward with those feelings through. If I when with my gut I think both of us had come to expect we would die alone prior to ended up here, and having these feelings were confusing to the both of us. Tonight, we would have a quiet candle lit dinner, which would serve as our first date.

As I was reading a letter from one of my British relatives one of the servants knocked. “Enter.” I said. I was thinking it was time for lunch and one our servants was coming to get us.

Lena entered the office. I had made it a point to learn all of their names. “Sir, Chancellor Bismarck is here…” Before she could finish Bismarck enter the room and he looked pissed.

“What is the meaning of this?” He said holding up a newspaper stating that Frederick IV had been crowned Kaiser of Germany.

I quickly rose to my feet, “How dare you barging into my office Chancellor!” My tone was shifting back to a tone I haven’t used since I been here. It was a hard as steel tone I used rarely to get my ex-students in line when I was their teacher. A tone I learned while I was in the army. “You have no right to barge into my personal office like you just did!” Both Lena and Dona were shocked by my tone as neither had heard it prior to this. My students who never had done anything to warrant that tone and heard it told me it scared them.

Yet I kept going, “Its clear you are distress, so I believe I can overlook this outburst. So, I advise you to leave now and come back when you have collected yourself! When you do however, I expect you to have apologizes for both my wife and servant for this rude outburst! I bid you a good day Chancellor!” I really wanted to say I bid you a good day only as a matter of good form as Maury Chaykin said in his performance of Nero Wolfe in one of the episodes, I have watched a number of times. This however was not the time or place for such a rude saying.

Bismarck seem to get even madder given what I just said. We were currently eyeball to eyeball as Lyndon B Johnson would say through. Yet I was refusing to backdown here. He was also a stubborn old cuss who also normally refused to back down. So, this was going to be fun as I was looking straight into his eyes just daring him to say something to me right now.

Laying the Foundation Part VI

Berlin
Crown Prince’s Carriage
March 18 1888

Bismarck after staring me down for a few moments yesterday decided to leave without saying another word. After Bismarck left, my old Army trained kicked in and I when about writing an After Action Report about what had happened. This was because my gut said this was not the last, I would hear of it. Its been a while since I did an AAR, but it was surprising easy to write this one up. The key to this AAR would be tone and language in the event Bismarck decided to push his luck. After writing I had Dona sign it with me, along with getting a time and date stamp. Said AAR was in the pocket of my coat jacket as myself and Dona was heading to Stadtschloss.

I was assuming this had to do with what happened yesterday with Bismarck. Dona thought much the same as I did. We have both been summoned to the Stadtschloss earlier this morning. The reason for the summons was not stated by Frederick or Vicky. We were ready for this through as we have gamed planned for this after my write up of the AAR of the blow up of Bismarck.

As were riding to the castle I was looking out of the cityscape. I had always wanted to travel to Germany, and after my failed effort to get into the Special Forces I had hoped to get stationed there. I never did, I had spent hours in Germany as part of the effort to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan every time I when for a combat tour of duty. Now I was living in the nation, and I was taking a moment to enjoy it. I needed to tour the nation soon. Honestly from the little I seen so far Germany was a beautiful nation.

My mind for some reason when to an old Joe Diffie song, I haven’t heard in a long time. For some reason it just felt right so I started to sing softly after singing the first verse in my head, “We talked of roads untraveled. We talked of love untrue. Of strings that come unraveled. We were kings and kindred fools. And just when I’d hit bottom. That old man raised his glass. And said at least we’ve had our chances. There’s those who never have.”

Dona put her hand on my knee and gently shook, “Wilhelm what song is that?”

I pulled my glazed from the cityscape that was passing us by and turned to Dona, “Its old Joe Diffie song, I don’t remember the title through.” That happened with me sometimes. I would sing the bulk of a song but not remember the title. There were times I would type in part of the lyrics into Google just to find the song on Youtube just so I could listen to it. It was strange but it was me.

“It’s a beautiful if deep.” Dona said. She always loved music, and loved to go to concerts or places that had live music. So far, she hadn’t been able to travel to see any performances since waking up in the 19th century. Namely from the fact she had only just recovered from the stillbirth she had suffered. During their talks about their future plans they have agreed that Wilhelm would become a patron of music to build up good will with the people of the nation. This was because they both love music.

“Indeed.” I replied. “It goes on to say later ‘God made life a gamble. And we’re still in the game.’ That’s so true. I think the point of the song is enjoy what you have because there is always someone less well off than you. We are far better off than most, but I know one thing for sure.” I said looking straight into Dona’s eyes.

“What is that Wilhelm?” You could see the confuse look in her eyes wondering where I was going with this.

“No matter what happens, the good lord let me meet you. For that I’m beyond thankful for.” Neither of us have said the L word yet, but we both felt it of that I was sure. I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it.

Dona started to blush at that statement and action. “I’m thankful for that as well.” She said. “However, we are getting close to Stadtschloss.” We were still both nervous of our feelings as well. Then again the L word was a tricky thing for people playing with broken hearts.

I knew public displays of affections weren’t approved up for court behavior so I let go of Dona’s hand. “Let’s go see what this is about.”

Laying the Foundation Part VII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
March 18 1888

With the carriage coming to a stop we got out of it and were shown into the palace that was the closest thing to the beating heart of the German Empire. From this castle the Hohenzollern Family ruled first over Prussia and now Germany. The former ruler, the man I was now named after, however didn’t care for the day to day duties of ruling. Since the early 1860s he had largely left that task to Otto von Bismarck. Wilhelm the First was now dead, and Otto von Bismarck was starting to lose his touch.

Things were now clearly coming to a head after I had helped pushed my “father” Frederick to select the regnal name Frederick the Fourth instead of the Frederick the Third I knew from the history that Dona and I came from. I had my own reasons for making the pitch for that name. Since coming here, I had found I was an Imperialist in the first order, but with a 21st century flare. Lines on the map were important, but what was more important was the economic value of the land. If the land was worthless, then what was the point? By going with the Frederick the Fourth regnal name set me up for historical claims of the Holy Roman Empire which really opened changing the map to favor Germany in the long game.

Because sooner or later, if all my planning and schemes panned out, Germany would find herself in an economic cold war with the United States. Even through I was going to try to fold the colonies into Germany proper, that was not a guarantee. If anything, that was a long shot. Even more so if the US when down the path of Wilsonianism. I had always had mix feeling on Wilsonianism prior to ending up in 19th century Germany. However, now I was dead set against it, as I was trying to build a Germany that could last and stand up to the United States in the long term and not end up as another Soviet Union. To help guard against the possibly of the colonies being lost I needed very favorable borders in Europe. A claim to the Holy Roman Empire would help a lot in getting Germany to a position it could stand up in a fight against the United States in an economic cold war. Granted it still might not be enough to win but it would go to a judge’s decision instead of being a TKO.

There however were powers within Germany that weren’t looking at the long game. Even with them not having the knowledge I have they clearly weren’t looking at the long game. Bismarck was one such person, but he was by far not the only one. Well I assumed this meeting was about, but I wasn’t 100%. It could he a host of different reasons, but what happened yesterday with Bismarck was the most likely.

It took a few minutes to get to the offices that were being used. Then another moment for the greetings, then the servants left. Given who was in the room, we were correct. This was about Bismarck and what happened yesterday. Bismarck still looked pissed. Vicky had a smug look on her face. Frederick just looked like he was about to keel over and throw up. The cancer was eating him alive and it was showing.

With the greetings out of the way the servants have left, Vicky started the meeting speaking for Frederick. “Wilhelm, what happened yesterday between you and Chancellor Bismarck.”

At that point I knew my AAR was going to be damn handy. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope it was in. “Mother I wrote this, moments after the Chancellor left my office. It is signed by myself, my wife, and the servant who guided the Chancellor to my officer as the whole truth. It was also time stamped to make it clear when I had written this account.”

Frederick simply raised an eye brow as I handed the AAR to his Vicky. Vicky had a surprise look in her face. Bismarck looked white as a ghost. There was four pages total outlining what happened. The fourth page only had a pair of paragraphs on it, along with signatures, and time stamp. It took Vicky a few moments to read, but you could see the anger in her eyes grow. She then handed the AAR to her husband for him to read.

On the second page Frederick suffered from a coughing attack and it slowed him down. But he finished reading it a few minutes latter. He then picked up his pen and put it to paper. It was short and to the point when he handed the piece of paper Vicky. She then spoke, “Do you have anything to say for yourself Chancellor?” Everyone in this room knew Bismarck’s actions were indefensible. Further with the fact it was not a he said she said situation given my AAR, his ass was toast.

Bismarck opened his mouth than closed again as he was trying to find the words he would need to save him, but he was failing to find them. After a moment he finally spoke, “No Ma’am I do not.”

It was at this point Frederick started to write again. He then handed this note to Vicky. “Herr Bismarck, you are fired.”

‘Yeah, this was not how this needed to be done,’ I thought. “Father if I may be bold and make a suggestion here.”

Everyone in the room turned to me. Frederick then nodded to signal me to speak. “Don’t fire Bismarck, allow him to resign his post as Chancellor and all other offices he currently holds. He can give any reason he wishes, but I would suggest that he states he wishes to give you a free hand in forming a new government. This resignation is to be effective immediately on the naming of his replacement. For his services to GERMANY he should be named the Duke of Lauenburg. If he agrees to stay out of politics you will medialize his house on his deathbed.” I didn’t want to give his asshole any more honors, even through he was losing his touch he still had allies. I wanted to totally sideline the fucker and having something I know damn well he wanted over him was a good way to do it. I had also chosen my words carefully. I wasn’t about to medialize his house, but said my father would. So I would have an out when that time came.

There was a moment of silence in the room. Frederick then turned to Vicky who now looked at her husband. He nodded his head in agreement. At that Vicky turned back to Bismarck, “Go ahead and start on your resignation letter, I want to see them before you leave this palace for the day.” Vicky said.

Author’s Question: Anyone have a good idea on who Frederick would want to tap for the job of Chancellor?

Laying the Foundation Part VIII

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
March 22 1888

The past few days had been crazy. Bismarck made one last effort to keep his jobs as Chancellor of Germany and Minister President of Prussia. However, he had ran out of allies to support him as the court learned how many protocols, he had broken in that fail attempt to meet with me. So, he resigned but it was clear he was pissed by being forced out. The man still wanted his power, and we all had a hunch he might try to run for a seat in the Reichstag to influence if not regain his power there. That however was a bridge to be cross at a later date.

With Bismarck being out, it caused a massive shake up within the German government. Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher received a promotion and took over the position of Chancellor of Germany. He however did not take over the job of Minister President of Prussia. During the meeting that follow Bismarck being told to resign, me, Frederick, Vicky, and Dona had a long meeting about what we wanted to achieve. Well it was more an effort to feel out my support as Frederick still believe he was to live for a few more years, possibly longer. I was still able to nudge him in some in areas I wanted, but I didn’t push hard. This wasn’t the time or place for it.

That had led to Rudolf Arnold Nieberding becoming the new Minister President of Prussia. We had decided we needed to signal to the rest of Germany that the German Empire was not simply a Prussian Empire that was simply masquerading as a German Empire. We had briefly thought about putting Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner in the job, but believe he wouldn’t have the support to maintain the job. But as part of the cabinet shake up on going he was being brought to Berlin to serve as the Vice-Secretary of the Treasury. Dona believed the man had a bright future ahead of him. I wasn’t sure as I don’t recall hearing his name before, but then again a lot of the names going around I couldn’t recall prior to ending up here.

For the position of Vice Chancellor that was now open it had been decided to move Leo von Caprivi from the Navy to here. Along with that he was named the new Minister of the Interior. We did ask he resign his commission from both the army and navy which he agreed to. The reason we asked him to resign his commission was because we wanted to make it clear that the Germany was not an army with a state. Having a man on active duty in such a critical position just sent to many wrong signals. Granted it didn’t look good that he was resigning his commission than moving on to these positions but it was better than having him maintaining his commission while holding those positions.

To take over the foreign office from the drunk that Hebert von Bismarck was there had been a lively debate on that one. The debate came down to Paul von Hatzfeldt and Bernhard von Bulow in the end. I threw my weight behind von Hatzfeldt, as I simply didn’t trust Bulow from what I knew of the man of the history I knew that would never be. Hatzfeldt on the other hand was known to a skill diplomatic and close with the Court of St. James. It was Vicky that I think finally pushed Hatzfeldt over the finish line with Bulow being the Vice at foreign affairs. It was hoped between all of us that Hatzfeldt would bring closer relations between London and Berlin.

Even the military was seeing a shake up in their command system. Even through on the junior side Friedrich von Hollmann was becoming the Chief of the Imperial Admiralty. It was time for the navy to be led by a naval trained officer. Based on the service jacket he would be perfect for the build up of the navy I wanted to see over the next 20 years. Germany did need a navy, but I wasn’t about to repeat the blunders that Wilhelm did in the history I knew. No, it would be a slow build up to allow our industry and pool of trained sailors to build up slowly before we would have to start going through dump trucks full of money. That however was still in the very distance future before that would happen.

For the army, I had been able to talk my ‘father’ into relieving Alfred von Waldersee of his position of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff and sending him to lead III Corp. In his stead we now had Julius von Verdy du Vernois there. That however was only going to be a band aid there. There was going to have to be a major shake up within the German Army. We would need a new Prussian Minister of War shortly, but that itself was a problem. There was no national German position for defense of the realm. We needed that but I had no idea how to go about that. Yet I trusted Verdy to lead the army when Moltke would later retire this year. So, the army was secure for now.

That was how I ended up here. Even Frederick was understanding he was not well. He therefor had agreed to allow me to build up a small entourage so I could have aide-de-camps ready for when the time came for me to rule. This was me reading service jackets of junior and young staff level officers trying to pick out these people. I was currently focusing on the army, as the navy while important was on the backburner at the moment and foreseeable future.

Currently I was reading the service jacket of Major soon to be Lt Colonel Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz. I knew of Goltz via my studies in the other world I had come from. It seemed he was a gifted officer like I expected but had made a few enemies for his idea of Volkskrieg. Knowing what I knew Volkskrieg was the future of war so I needed to find a way to get him back here to Germany. But given the important work he was doing in the Ottoman Empire, I might have to leave him there for now, but I wanted him back sooner rather than later.

Just as I was finishing reading the jacket Dona entered by study. She was the only person in this build I would allow to enter my study unannounced. We needed each other in more ways than one. “Wilhelm its time to eat. This can wait till tomorrow.” She said once she could see me as I was setting next to a fireplace to keep warm.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, “There is so much to do through.” I was wanting to get my people in place so I could start the changes to make the German Army an unstoppable war machine when the time came.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day darling.” She said then lean in and gave me a kiss, our first. “Come on don’t make me eat alone.”

I wasn’t stupid, “Coming dear.”

Laying the Foundation Part IX

Berlin
Kronprinzenpalais
April 2 1888

“I will see you tonight dear.” Wilhelm said as he leaned into kiss me.

After the kiss, “Till tonight darling.” He was wearing his army uniform as he was going to interview a few different officers to be his aide-de-camp. So, he was wearing his uniform for that instead of the suits he was wearing most of the time now. The interviews for today was Erich von Falkenhayn, Hans von Seeckt, and August Mackensen. Tomorrow there would be two other officers he would be interviewing for the position of his army aide-de-camp. I couldn’t recall their names at the moment but I knew I would be hearing about them tonight at dinner.

Wilhelm was a good man I have learned from my time with him. He had good wit, humor, and intelligence, but sometime he was also stubborn as a mule as they would say in the United States. He was firmly set in the believe that a Weltkrieg was a question of when and not if. As such he wanted to mold the military into something that would allow Germany to achieve something that had never been achieved than kept, be the master of Europe. He was so American in some of his thoughts it was like someone made him out of a cookie cutter. Then there were times he would outright surprise me. Like the meeting he had set up with Charles Parsons to try and come to a business agreement with him. Possibly get him to set up shop in Germany. Given the way he talked sometimes I thought he would go for some famous gunsmith instead of someone who could help grow the economy of the nation.

I wanted to focus on the economy and building up the social safety net to stem the migration of the sons and daughters of the Fatherland leaving for the promise of a better life in the Americas. Possibly bring the colonies into Germany proper, but that was a stretch goal at best. I further believed with reforms at the foreign office it would be possible to create a lasting peace that would last during the whole of our rule which with the improved lifestyles could possibly be into the early 1950s.

By which point we and other nations would have nuclear weapons and see how pointless war was. He however disagreed totally with that idea. When the topic of nuclear weapons came up, Wilhelm said, ‘The only way the idea of mutual assured destruction works if you use them once in warfare. Then have about 20 years of peace to let the idea fully set in that things are radically different.’ I hoped I would be able to talk the man I loved out this idea, but only time would tell if I could or not.

However, I couldn’t let this keep me from my tasks for the day. Even through I no longer could be working in the laboratory pushing the bounds of chemistry I could still help push tech forward in some areas. Whereas Wilhelm was working on gunsmithing and the internal combustion engine, I was working to advance chemistry. Given I was a woman this made it more challenging. Still through given my position it did give me some room to move and push for advances in the field I cared about.

It was why today I was meeting with Adolf von Baeyer and Viktor Meyer. They were highly regarded chemist and I could put ideas in their mind which hopefully would allow them to reach new highs. I know both men had been surprised by their invitations to meet with me from their replies, but they accepted. Then again when the future Empress Consort of your nation ask to meet with you only a fool would say no and neither of these men were fools. The problem I would be facing was how to get these men to accept my ideas. This was why this meeting was going to be so challenging for me.

Both Wilhelm and me had agreed we needed to advance technology but we were having issues as to coming up with ways to do it. We briefly thought about forming a new ministry but found in the early research for this idea that Germany didn’t have the money for it. At the moment we were basically giving it out in eye droppers but were looking at other ideas. I had talked to him about forming the Kaiser Wilhelm Society far earlier than in the history than we knew, but he was lukewarm on the idea. I think he still wanted the ministry, but I wasn’t sure.

We however were in agreement on the idea of getting intelligentsia to migrate to Germany so to build up the economic power of Germany. With their new patents and the industry that when along with supporting these new ideas would lead to a far more powerful Germany. Something we both wanted.

Laying the Foundation Part X

Potsdam, German Empire
German Army Base, Rifle Range
April 30 1888

This was on of those rare days I have dressed in a military uniform since waking up as Wilhelm the Second. Suits were just more practical than wearing a uniform every day. When I became Kaiser in a few months I would most likely be wearing this uniform or the naval one on the odd meeting I was planning to do weekly. Outside that, I would be in suits. I was planning to meet with the newly promoted Oberst and only one Kaptian zur See every week. These meetings would be small so I could meet with these officers and learn about them. This way I could see who could adopt to the changing world and who wouldn’t. Those who couldn’t I would do my damnest to sideline their careers so those who could adopt to the changing world could reach positions of power within the German Army and Navy. In time the Luftwaffe when that formed.

Currently two people were standing next to me. The other man in uniform was my new aide-de-camp Lieutenant Hans von Seeckt. It had really come down to Mackensen and von Seeckt for me. What finally pushed it for von Seeckt over Mackensen, was von Seeckt was more junior and Mackensen was most likely going to end up working for the General Staff soonish based on my impression of the man. Given I had some ideas I wanted to work with the General Staff on, I decided to allow the General Staff have Mackensen and take von Seeckt as my army aide-de-camp. I was still working to select a navy one through.

The other man standing here with me was Paul Mauser. I had asked Paul to join me as I test the new rifle of the German Army, the Gewehr 1888 or the commission rifle. I had also asked him to bring a rifle he was building for the Belgians; what would become the Mauser 1889. As an American I had own a Gewehr 1888, and honestly hated the damn. The only reason I had kept it was because by grandfather had brought that rifle and a few others firearms as war trophies from his time with the 4th Infantry Division. It just meant too much to me to sell it off, but it was not a rifle I took out to the range because I hated the damn thing.

I was trying my damnest to stop the adoption of the Commission Rifle, but I was finding there were limits to my power at the moment. I knew the ordnance board in time would come to curse my name as my wife had pointed out to me, I was a gun nut. I didn’t even try to lie about that, I did have a passion about small arms. Had there been money in it, I might had tried to start up a small-scale company to make high end 45s, but the start up cost were too high and the profit margin was too small to make it worthwhile. So, I decided to do the saner thing and go back and get my masters. Now though I had the ability to work with firearms and have it be part of my job. At the moment through it seem the Commission Rifle was too far along in the process for me to stop.

Besides sending a letter to Paul Mauser, I had also sent letters to John Browning and Hiram Maxim. John Browning had been surprised by the letter he received from me, but he had accepted the offer to travel to Germany so I could meet with him. He was one of the people on my list of talented individuals who I wanted to recruit to move to Germany and allow Germany gain the fruits of their labors.

Hiram Maxim wasn’t someone I was planning to recruit like John Browning. He had his roots to firmly set in the British Isles to get him to come to Germany. I was planning more a business relationship with him. I wanted to start equipping the German Army with Maxim Machine Guns, and I wanted to get the rights to make them. Granted I knew if I asked Browning to do a machine gun he would most likely come up with something better, but I frankly didn’t feel like waiting. Maxim’s gun was ready, so I had asked him to travel to Potsdam to give me a personal demonstration of his machine gun to me. I was already planning on buying one for my personal use, but I wanted the army to start getting these into the field ASAP. Simply because I wanted to start reforming the German Army sooner rather than later as some of the more radical ideas I had would be easier if I had pushed for the easier reforms earlier and allow general officers get use to the new ideas.

One of my great passions had always been firearms, even before waking up in the body of Wilhelm the Second. Then again, I guess its part of being brought up in the Southern United States. I had learned to shoot at an early age with my grandfather’s Sears and Roebuck pump action 22. As I moved into my teen years I had moved on to larger guns of different types. Then I had moved on to military issues guns. I had even brought back a Lee-Metford from Afghanistan during my tour there. The day I died, I had a small arsenal worth of firearms with a total of 11 rifles, 3 shotguns, and 9 pistols being in my house that I owned.

Firearms were just something I knew like the back of my hand. Here I wanted the German Army to have the best firearms in the world. That was why I had asked Paul Mauser to join me as I tested the Gewehr 88 and his own design. I knew this was the answer to the French Lebel which had come out two years prior. That didn’t mean it was a good answer. Yes, it was better than the Lebel, but it also was simply at best a bridge gun to something better. I had always hated this damn rifle, and shooting it today had just reconfirmed I hated this gun. Given the Kar 98k one of the other two rifles my grandfather brought back from his Second World War, I knew there could be something far better than this piece of shit.

Right now, the biggest challenge for me was getting used to crippled left arm. It was forcing me to relearn how to shoot all together. I had to take a different hold on the rifle than I was use to, and it was showing today with my grouping. Then again, I could only could get so much trigger time right now given all my other work. So, my grouping bloody sucked as I was still not the greatest with this grip position I was using. With the army on the verge of adopting the Commission Rifle, I decided to personally test the rifle against what I thought was a better rifle. Hench this trip. But I had left the ordnance board behind this time because this was not a battle worth fighting at the current moment.

I worked the bolt a final time to pull out the final piece of brass as we had shot our load for the day. Out of habit I checked thee rifle to make sure it was clear. One thing my grandfather had drilled into me than was reinforced by Drill Sergeant Williams was you respect the gun and take gun safety bloody seriously. Happy that the magazine was empty and there was nothing in the chamber I spoke, “Gentlemen let’s see how we did.”

At that point I put the rifle on the table we were using and started walking down range. One thing I really wanted was a pair of headphones to help keep my hearing in check. I had already ordered a pair to my own design, but they haven’t been delivered yet. My ears were still ringing. Once we got to the 300 meter targets I started to judge how each of us did. Looking over my paper it was clear I needed more practice as I only had one in the black out of the 15 shots I had fired off. Three of my shots had totally missed.

Looking over at the other targets I could see both Mauser and von Seeckt had done better than me. “Congratulation Herr Mauser on being the best shot here.” I said after looking at the targets next to mine.

“Thank you, sir.” Mauser said.

This was the third round of shooting we have done. We had started with targets at 900 meters. Then brought it into 600 meters. Then finally the 300 yard targets. We had 15 shots each for each rifle. Paul had been the best at every range with both rifles. Through von Seeckt could give him a run for his money, but the winner to day had been Mauser. “Now gentlemen if we can retire to a cool room, I would like to have a frank talk about the future of the rifles within the army.”

It took us a few minutes to reach the room we have selected to hold this meeting in. There were already some refreshments put out for us. However, everyone else had already left the room. Myself and Paul sat down as Lieutenant von Seeckt stood off to my side. “Herr Mauser, I believe the decision not to consult with you on this rifle was a mistake.”

Paul Mauser was setting there watching me. It was clear he was wondering why I asked him to join me in this testing of what would shortly be the new rifle of the German Army. “I believe you are the best gunsmith that Germany has to offer. Not talking to you on any design is foolish. There however is nothing we can do about that now.”

It was clear that the words of praise from his crown prince was welcome based on his reaction. I kept going. “I don’t want a tic for tac match with the frogs or anyone else on small arms design. I want a massive leap in terms of rifle design, a considerable leap that you give Germany.” Mauser’s eye brow raised with that challenge. “What I want from you is a self-loading rifle that can be issued to every rifleman.”

“Sir, that is challenging task. It’s never been never done before. Even for sporting goods.” Mauser said. He was correct self-loading guns as they were known was a beyond cutting edge piece of technology at the moment.

“If it was simple, I wouldn’t take the time to personally ask for it.” I said. “However, with smokeless powder I believe it’s time to make the impossible possible. I also have a few ideas for this rifle. Lieutenant if you please.”

Before this meeting I had took some time doing draw some sketches. I had owned an M1 Garand that I had picked up as a gift to myself via the civilian marksmanship program. I had always liked that rifle. Granted I never the same kind of round count in the M1 Garand as I did as my AR. But asking for an AR now was like asking for a nuke. I believed an M1 Garand was possible through in the next decade or so. It was why I was asking for that instead of an AR.

At that von Seeckt when to the safe to get the papers I had made up for this. It took a moment before von Seeckt handed me the folder. “I had some thoughts on the matter. If you would take a look at these sketches and see what you think of them.”

I then handed the folder over to Paul. Paul opened the folder you could tell he was taken back by what he saw. Granted it wasn’t proper technical drawings but I did my best. I couldn’t do everything and I was going from memory. So it wouldn’t be perfect. Mauser has had stayed quiet for a while before speaking. “Sir you did these?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Impressive sir. You could have a future in gunsmithing.”

After a light laugh, “I had another job already lined up, Herr Mauser. So, what are your thoughts.”

“Well I can’t make a rifle off these drawings alone. There is promise in this idea you have. I would have to do some work with to fill out the final points. Any thoughts to a cartridge?”

“Yes, I want a 7 mm bore round, that is rimless and spitzer, with a high velocity.” 8 Mauser was a nice round, but I knew smaller bore high velocity rounds was the future. I believe a 7mm round would be something I can get the army to accept. I had just had to get Mauser enough information to make this whole thing work. Which was why I had asked for this meeting so I could start feeding him information.

Laying the Foundation Part XI

Kiel
Performance Hall
May 27 1888

Dona and I were currently in our evening best. This was one of those things that was throwing me somewhat here in the 19th century. I had been wearing a suit all day save for my morning exercises and run, yet that was not viewed as formal enough to attend a performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as being performed by the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra. So, I had to change into an even nicer and fancier suit. That said, Dona filled out her evening gown beautifully. That view was more than worth the hassle of changing suits for this.

Currently we were performing a tour of Germany and performing various official acts in our role as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Germany. Today we had visited the Kiel Canal construction site and visited with some of the people building that important piece of infrastructure for Germany. I wanted that canal to be far larger than it currently was planned to be. The problem was I couldn’t get the money for it at the moment, and explaining why I wanted it to be larger would be a bitch. It would be a goal for a latter date.

Yesterday we had spent the better part of our day touring the University of Kiel. We however did split up part of the tour. Dona decided she wanted to sit through a chemistry lecture. So, while I when forward with the tour she stayed behind in the chemistry part of the university for a few hours. I knew what she was doing. She was getting her bearings on where the world of chemistry was right now. She was a talented chemist from what I saw of her work.

The problem was she was trying to find what the limits of “modern” chemistry right now. Once she figured out where the floor was she would start taking out patents in the pseudonym of Countess Sophia. The money gained from those patents we would use it to fund various things. There was the old saying that money made the worth go around, and the more time I spent here in Germany the more I found out how true that statement was. She already had at least one patent ready to send out, she just needed to tweak it some more to make it work with the current tech, but it should be a nice boost to the economy once it got out there.

Even through we were doing a lot of official work at the moment, we were finding time to perform other things we both saw as needed to be done. I had met with Charles Parsons yesterday and came to an agreement with him. He had been looking for backers to fund him setting up his own company. In return for a 25% stake in his company that he was looking to form, I gained the exclusive rights to sell steam turbines in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Japan. We shared rights in the Ottoman Empire, Sweden, and China with the rest of the world being his exclusive rights. This also came with the rights to set up a factory here in Germany to build steam turbines. When we travelled to Essen, I planned to talk to Krupp about setting that up in the next few days.

After this final night in Kiel we would be travelling to Hamburg for another two days in that city. There I was planning to meet with John Browning and Elijah McCoy. They were the first two of the technical talent I planned to pick off from the United States and elsewhere to further increase the lead that Germany had in terms of tech and science. If Browning agreed to set up shop here in Germany I would talk to him about a tilting barrel self-loading pistol.

Even though I had been viewed as a heretic, I had never been a fan boy of the M1911. That was on the borderline of being a criminal in the gun circles I ran in. Then again I thought 45 ACP was overkill, 9 Para was where it was at. Honestly, I thought the best handgun Browning designed was the Hi-Power. So, unlike the M1 Garand I couldn’t do detail drawings for the M1911. The only pistol I could do that for would be my Glock, but that wasn’t happening anytime soon. So, I would be talking about tilting barrel and short recoil operations with Browning. Then if he stayed in Germany, I would move on to machine guns with him. I really wanted to equip the German Army with the Ma Duce for the first Weltkrieg. No one argued with Ma Duce, my two tours in Iraq taught me that.

On the other hand, Elijah McCoy, was someone I knew through via my father. It was rare in the late 20th century but my father had worked on the railroad. He was also the person I learned my love of history from. Even when he was not working, he would be studying the history of railroad when he wasn’t taking care of me and my sister. I learned around from that time with my dad, and now I was planning to use that knowledge to advance Germany forward.

McCoy was an African-American and a fracking genesis when it came to improving locomotives. He already held a number of patents that had greatly improved the ability of locomotives to run better and for greater profits. He was also the man behind the old saying, the real McCoy. As much as I wanted to get the German Army to switch over to the internal combustion engine, that was simply a bridge too far right now. Even then railways would play an important role in the logistics network. So, getting McCoy here into Germany and feed him a few ideas will be a boon to the German rail network.

That however was for the next few days, I was currently enjoying the music I was listening to and the company I was in.

First Steps Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
June 16 1888

Dona and I had been in Königsberg yesterday on the last leg of our journey across Germany when the news reached us. We both had to act the part of being shocked, but we knew this had been coming for months. The 99-day reign of Frederick the Fourth had come to an end when the cancer had finally took him. When news reached us, we had to cut our tour short and took and engaged a special train to return to Berlin. We had reached the city in the early hours this morning and made our way to the Stadtschloss.

Our trip across Germany I believe was a good one. We had visited every major city within the Empire, including Strasbourg in Elsaß-Lothringen. I wanted to raise the status of Elsaß-Lothringen from that of an imperial territory to that of a Grand Duchy within the empire. I needed them to get them to think they were truly part of Germany not just a Prussian conquest of French territory. By given them the same level of autonomy that many other parts of Germany had at a later date along with not calling them an imperial territory I hoped to achieve that.

Given that Elsaß-Lothringen was mostly Catholic I would have to name one of the Catholic German Royals to be the head of the new Grand Duchy of Elsaß-Lothringen when I formed that. I was seriously looking at naming someone from the House of Wittelsbach to the job, well one of the sane ones anyways. I needed to find a way to break some of the independence Bavaria had within the German Empire. I didn’t want to leave a decentralized federal state to my heir. I knew how well the Holy Roman Empire worked out in history, and we were basically a modern reincarnation of that right now in my opinion. I had to find a way to get Bavaria to agree to give up some of its autonomy for a stronger federal system. I hoped by offering them the house of a new Grand Duchy of Elsaß-Lothringen would get them to agree to that.

Another place we had travelled during our tour of Germany had been Posen. I met with the Germans and Poles of the region. I had also met with the leaders of the Polish Party. Those on the hard right in Germany had denounced the meeting and that didn’t surprise me. However, I knew if my plans worked out Germany most likely see an increase in the population in Poles within her borders through various means. I needed to have a good working relationship with them so they don’t do something stupid like trying to create a Polish state without my backing. That way Germany wouldn’t lose any territory, as I wanted to grow her borders. How was currently to be determined at a later date. That growth would largely depend on the geopolitical world at the moment of that growth.

One idea I was looking at was taking a page from Canada and create a duel language state. Maybe more depending on how Germany grew. But all of those who finished gymnasium would be able to speak German and Polish was my current idea. This idea was very rough at the moment as I was working with Dona to refine it more. German would be the primary tongue of Germany but I wanted to get the sizeable Polish minority which would grow from becoming a problem later. I also wanted to keep from having the problems that our neighbor to the south had with languages.

In Königsberg we visited the synagogue in that city. This was honestly a first for me as I have never before been in one. Then again, I hadn’t been in a church in a regular basics since I had been in primary school before waking up here. I still held my own questions on the subject of the all mighty but waking up in the body of Wilhelm the Second made me more likely to believe in it without question. That said given how important religion was I had put aside my own personal beliefs and played the part. But at the same time, I was trying to snuff out anti-Semitism here in Germany.

That had been the reason I had visited the synagogue in Königsberg. I wanted to show to all Germans that the Jews of Germany were citizens of the empire and should be treated with the same respect of all other Germans. I knew me going to synagogues would only get things so far through. I knew sooner or later I needed to code into law freedom of religion. Well at least for the Abrahamic religions. But I didn’t want the full-on freedom of religion that I had known under the First Amendment back in the United States. I wanted a hard wall between the church and state. I also wanted that hard wall between state and church. How I would do that, I didn’t have the foggy idea yet. That was still a work in progress at the moment with there being no light at the end of tunnel at the moment.

I had just finishing meeting with Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher. I gave him my word that he would still have his current position for the foreseeable future. I needed him to help me create a social safety net within Germany. Even with my background in economics I knew Germany could never directly compete with the United States or indeed the new world for economic possibilities and economic mobility. At least not yet anyways. I needed to give the sons and daughters of the Fatherland a reason to stay in Germany. A social safety net was a damn good way to do it as it gave them something that they wouldn’t get in the new world.

With that meeting behind me, the first official meeting I had as Kaiser of Germany, I when to meet with my ‘mother’ Vicky. Dona had been with her to give her help through this hard time. I knew that she and Frederick were very much in love with each other. I seen what happened when two people who truly loved each other were torn apart by death, it wasn’t pretty. I wanted to keep her in an active role within the German court to help achieve some of my aims.

As I walked into her room I could tell Vicky had been crying. She then looked at me, “Wilhelm, why is Dona glowing?” That question caught me off guard.

First Steps Pt II

Potsdam
Sanssouci
July 28 1888

I was dribbling a ball that was barely passable as a basketball. I needed something to calm my nervous mind at the moment. Basketball was one of my go to stress reliefs prior to me ending up in this body. My other was time out on the target range, but given why me and Dona had travelled to Sanssouci going out on the target range to send lead down range might be a bad idea. So, I had set up a half court basketball in the back part of this summer palace and was working up a good sweat as I tried to get my mind off why we were here.

The thing of it was I was in the best shape of my life all things considered. If not for the Erb’s Palsy in my left arm I would say I was borderline top flight athlete shape. That left arm did cause some problems through. I had also used it as excuse when I had made up this basketball court, and another one in Berlin itself. I might have invented basketball because of that. Oops. That hadn’t been planned, but so far it hadn’t caught on like my running had. Then again, I hadn’t played against anyone yet either, whereas my running was a common sight anymore. But if I could get five others to take part, I might create 3 on 3 half court basketball in this world. So far no such luck through as I would really enjoy a good game of 3 on 3 right now.

Every morning I made it a habit to run 8 kilometers following my workout every morning. Well I had worked up to 8 km after starting with four. Given my chance to influence history, I wanted to make sure I had as much time on this rock known as Earth to use that influence. That meant healthy eating and a more than healthy amount of physical training. It was why I was in such good shape now. Even prior to me waking up here I hadn’t done this much physical training since my army days, but it all came back with ease as I pushed my body to stay in shape.

It seems my running habit, had started something of a craze in Germany for the sport. I had seen reports in newspapers of various running clubs forming across Germany. Granted they were small and only have a few members, but it was a start. To me this was a good thing. A healthier Germany was a Germany that would be more economically prosperous. Plus, it would allow an easier translation to wartime footing if that came.

One thing I was looking at doing, and had already put some things in motion was creating the Berlin Marathon. I was looking at using it as one of the tools in my tool bag to truly unite Germany into one nation. I had even thought about trying to get the Olympics going early. Dona wasn’t sure if that was a good idea with the other things, we were doing to build pro-German feelings across Germany at the moment. But it was an idea we were looking at. If I would to get into the Olympic moment, I would most likely make a push to have women sports from the world go as part it. That however was a bridge to be cross when we reached it. However, if I did, I most likely would take part in as many athletics events as I could.

Performing a fadeaway jump shot I thought back to the reason we were here. Dona and I had consummated our marriage a few months ago. It seemed there was a possibly that she might be with child at the moment. Even through I was a father because I inherited kids from the real Wilhelm the fact I could possibly father one hadn’t been something on my mind as my relationship with Dona had grown to what it was today. The thought was also unnerving. I knew Dona had the rabbit and was doing the test, so I when to pick up the ball and push through some more drills I learned as an assistant basketball coach as I waited for news.

First Steps Pt III

Potsdam
Sanssouci
July 28 1888

Dona’s hand was shaking as she looked at the rabbit that she was getting to kill. It had been over two months since she had her monthly. She also was having morning sickness issues at the moment. Why they called it morning sickness when she got sick in the afternoon was beyond her. The rabbit test was to be sure through. She wanted to make sure she was carrying a child at the moment. She wasn’t showing yet, but if she was as far along as she thought she was, it was going to be a matter of days, if not a week or two before she started to show.

For her this was the worse possible timing. She was starting to make inroads into the German scientific community. She had also just started exchanging letters with Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, who at one point had been an assistant professor at Strasburg University before returning to Cracow to teach at Jagiellonian University. The man who came up with the ability to liquefaction of both oxygen and nitrogen should had been dead already, but somehow he was still alive. Dona was making a push for him to return to Germany and to help give Germany an even larger lead in chemistry.

She had also just filed for her first patent under her pseudonym of Countess Sophia. Using her background petrochemical and her reading up on the field, she had come with a cracking process to allow lighter hydrocarbons to be formed by breaking down longer chains of hydrocarbons. It wasn’t a perfect system by any means. However, it would work. That was the key to it, it worked. She was planning on shopping that patent in Germany as a way to fund further research she could perform and advance German chemistry even more.

Even through she was working on her chemistry projects she was having to perform task of the senior royals. She was also advising Wilhelm to help him become more German. She loved the man to death, but he was such an American it was almost painful at times. However, he would listen to her and he for the most part was not stuck in his ways. That was honestly refreshing in a way. However, it was clear he was the head of the operation. She however was the neck of it, and sometimes the neck could make the head do something.

The biggest thing she had done to date so far was get Wilhelm to watch a proper football game of BFC Germania a month ago. Granted that game had been well below the standards of the Bundesliga she enjoyed in the 21st century it was still an enjoyable game to watch. She could even tell that Wilhelm had enjoyed it. She hoped by getting Wilhelm to support football it would allow it to be the pastime of Germany and not his basketball that he so loved.

She forced herself to take a deep breath and get on with it. She and Wilhelm would be travelling to Munich tomorrow. Once there they would be announcement of the formation of the Die Deutsche Jugendbewegung. This would be a cross between scouting and a nationalist moment that was designed to build up Germany unity. So, when the time came Wilhelm would be able to push through a reform package that would strengthen the Federal Government to better allow Germany to weather the 20th century.

It took herself a few minutes to get to the part of the rabbit she needed. The ovaries of the rabbit were enlarged. She knew by that she was with child now. The test had less than a 2% error rate, so she knew this was a good test. This meant she would have to slow down to allow herself to deal with this, which was the last thing she wanted. She had reached the point in her life that she had honestly thought she never would be a mother prior to reaching here. Even through she was a mother because of the children the real Dona had, this was unexpected. They had even tried to keep this from happening, but they failed.

Now it was time to inform Wilhelm. She started out to the basketball court he had set up for himself. She still didn’t understand why he loved that game as it made no sense to her. But it was best to let him have it, and hopefully get him away from his love affair with firearms. It took her a few minutes for her to reach that court. “Wilhelm.” She said as his back was to her as he was getting ready to shoot the ball again.

At that Wilhelm turned around. He looked at her for a moment, “You are? Aren’t you?”

She couldn’t help but laugh a little. Such an American. “Yes.”

First Steps Pt IV

Mannheim
Benz & Cie Offices
August 8 1888

When I was in Munich, news broke about Bertha Benz’s trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim. Normally this trip wouldn’t had been of much interest to most people. However, it was the fact she had performed the trip in the new horseless carriage that made this trip news worthy. So instead of returning to Berlin after my visit to Munich was over as had been planned, I decided to make a detour and travel to Mannheim and meet the man that had created the horseless carriage that was able to travel such a distance along with the woman who drove it. Granted 100 or so kilometers wasn’t much of a journey by the standards I was use to, but in the here and now, it was one hell of journey.

One thing was for sure I was quickly gaining a reputation as a Kaiser who enjoyed high technology. Sometimes I had to privately laugh at that with Dona. I was used to smart phones and tablet computers being standard technologies, but in the here and now, things like automotive, gliders, and steam turbine engines were on the cutting edge of technology. Knowing how important technologies like these would become or lead to things that were equally important, I was throwing my support behind them. I wanted to create an economic power house in Germany, and technology was an important way to do that. It would allow be to close the gap between my nation and the nation of my birth, but I would never overtake the US in raw economic power. Technology through would allow be to close the gap and make it so the gap wasn’t insurmountable to overcome.

I however, couldn’t just come to a town like Mannheim and just visit Karl and Bertha Benz then leave. I further knew I would need the support of the people of Germany to take her in the direction I wanted. I might have been the bloody Kaiser of Germany, but there were limits on my power and what I could do. I knew my love affair as some in the press called of new technology was unsettling some within the Junkers Class. Those fools through had no damn vision and couldn’t even see past the end of their bloody nose in some cases. My bet was simple, get the people of German in my corner and force the Junkers along with the German Royals to accept the changes I wanted to make. Currently though only very few were questioning my motives through as I was playing my cards close to my chest at the moment.

Once here I made a speech to the people of the city. It echoed a lot of the points I made in Munich when I founded the Die Deutsche Jugendbewegung about a week ago. I was pushing for Germany unity when I founded the DDJ, and this speech was on the same vain but without the youth bits I had for when I founded the DDJ. So, there were some differences there. But I also touched on why I was here. I wanted Germany technical prowess to become the envy of the world. I couldn’t say it like that through for a host of reasons. However, I made it clear in my speech that we should praise to the inventors of new technologies.

From what I could tell my speech was well received by the people of the city. After that I took about an hour to meet with a selected group of people of the city from all walks of live. I wanted to figure out how to perform an old fashion American politician meet and greets where I could meet with larger people if for a shorter time than this. However, this still had a place in my tool box. It would also help me gain the support of common people of Germany.

With that behind me, Dona and I had travelled to the offices of Benz & Cie Offices. It was here where I met Karl Benz, his wife and their four children. We then had a late lunch together. At that point Dona and Bertha when into a side room with their children, as Karl took me into his workshop to show me his Model 3 and where he made it. Honestly his shop reminded me a lot of my high school automotive shop class, if aged and less high tech. But it still had that feel of being in that shop again.

With the tour of the shop behind me, Karl took me out back where he had a Model 3 set up to show me how it worked. He also pointed out a number of the features of it. It really was a horseless carriage in how it was designed as he showed me. It was at the engine, where we really got to talking through. I wasn’t the gearhead some of my friends had been back in the 21st century, but that didn’t mean I was clueless on engines like some people I knew back then. Granted the design of this engine was unlike anything I was use to. I could however follow along with his logic as I asked questions on how it worked. I gave feedback as a way to seed ideas with him to improve his engine designs and allow more powerful engines to be created sooner. I also touched on the idea of a gearbox, but we weren’t at that point yet. Given what I wanted done, we would need those sooner rather than later.

With the review of the Model 3 being over, “Herr Benz, would you teach me how to drive this auto?”

“Your majesty it would be an honor to show you how to drive.” At that point he when about the process of starting the engine which was unlike anything I have ever seen in before outside of videos. Once it was started we both got up onto the seat and he showed me the basics over about 20 minutes of driving lessons. Then he turned over control of the tiller to me and allowed me to make a few laps around the streets around his workshop.

During this it made me wish this engine had a damn muffler. Maybe that would be something for Dona to patent under her other name of Countess Sophia. Even with that this was fun as all hell as I was getting driving lessons from Karl Benz himself.

OTL Russian Artillery Overview

Jotun said:

Just as an aside, and in order to generate positive press about Germany, what about sending German archaeologists to "discover" places like the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the other tombs that haven‘t been discovered yet? Or other places of arceological interest around the globe that are still unknown?
Kalkriese in Germany might be a good idea on a national level as would Hedeby/Haithabu.

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Would work for publicity, though earlier discoveries are a double-edged sword: the earlier something is discovered, the less care archaeologists have in excavating it and the more likely artifacts will be missed or destroyed.

Jim Smitty said:

She had also just started exchanging letters with Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, who at one point had been an assistant professor at Strasburg University before returning to Cracow to teach at Jagiellonian University. The man who came up with the ability to liquefaction of both oxygen and nitrogen should had been dead already, but somehow he was still alive. Dona was making a push for him to return to Germany and to help give Germany an even larger lead in chemistry.

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I have not heard of him before, that was interesting. Thank you.

I finished the tables of OTL Russian artillery for reference:
Spoiler: Russian Artillery 1877-1917 During and after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, a new generation of artillery pieces was introduced, some of it license-built Krupp designs, the others developed by Obukhov using similar techniques. All of these (except the mountain gun) could be classed into the same basic design using wedge breechblocks. Starting with the field, landing (naval infantry), and mountain artillery:

Gun

Landing/Mountain/Horse Gun: 63.5 mm (2.5") M1877

Mountain/Horse Gun: 63.5 (2.5") M1883

Horse Gun: 87 mm M1877

Field Gun: 87 mm M1877

Heavy Field Gun: 106.7 mm (4.2") M1877

Field Howitzer: 152.4 mm (6") M1885

Weight (kg) | 312 (firing position) | 98 (tube+ breech only) | 360 (tube+ breech only) | 445 (tube+ breech only) | 1213 (tube+ breech only) | 459 (tube+ breech only)
Shell Weight (kg) | 4 | 4.2 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 12.5 | 31
Range (km) | 4.2 | ? | 6 | 6.5 | 5.3 | ? (228 m/s muzzle velocity)

Note on the M1877 Landing/Mountain/Horse gun: this was the exception to the usual Krupp-based Russian artillery of this era. It was designed by Vladimir Stepanovich Baranovsky from 1872 to 1875, and was very advanced for its time. Its interrupted thread breechblock was self-cocking, had a shell extractor/ejector, and had an out-of-battery safety (much like a scaled-up rifle bolt). It also had a hydraulic recoil system, which Baranovsky invented, but it didn't completely stabilize the gun. It merely reduced the recoil and made it easier to reposition the gun between shots. The unitary cartridges had long been used by Krupp but these other details were novel, and depending on the source it could fire 5-10 shots per minute. Apparently he was the originator of the hydraulic recoil concept, and combined with other sources it is possible to trace the development of such recoil systems: it was invented by Baranovsky, used by designers like Locard and Baquet in the 1880s for some experimental artillery, improved by Haussner's concept in 1888, and finally made to completely stabilize the gun in 1897 with the Canon de 75.

Moving onto fortress, siege, and coastal artillery of 1877-1909, the guns are all Krupp-style designs except the 57 mm guns. Data is very hard to find so all I can note is the caliber, barrel+breech weight, and barrel length in calibers to hopefully give an indication of mobility, firepower, muzzle velocity, and range:

Caliber | Siege/ Fortress Gun | Siege Howitzer/Mortar

57 mm

57 mm flank defense gun (196.5 kg total weight, 26.4 calibers- after 1892, Nordenfelt design)
57 mm coastal gun (327.6 kg, 48 calibers- after 1892, Maxim-Nordenfelt gun)

106.7 mm (4.2") | 106.7 mm gun (1310 kg, 35 calibers) |

152.4 mm (6")

152.4 mm gun (1966 kg, 21.3 calibers)
152.4 mm gun (3088 kg, 22 calibers- only until 1904)
152.4 mm gun (3276 kg, 30 calibers- 1904 update of previous gun)

203 mm (8")

203 mm lightweight gun (5855 kg, 16.8 calibers)
203 mm light gun (3112 kg, 17 calibers- after 1892)

203 mm siege mortar (3276 kg, 11.25 calibers)
203 mm light mortar (1147 kg, 7 calibers- after 1890)
203 mm cast-iron mortar (3276 kg, 9 calibers)

229 mm (9")

229 mm coastal gun (15,348 kg, 22 calibers)

229 mm mortar (5504 kg, 11.7 calibers)
229 mm light mortar (1769 kg, 7.7 calibers- after 1892)

279.4/280.1 mm (11")

279.4 mm gun (28,700 kg, 21.8 calibers)
279.4 mm cast-iron gun (36,855 kg, 21.9 calibers- early production only)
279.4 mm gun (47,813 kg, 35 calibers- after 1887)
280.01 mm gun (27,460 kg, 21.8 calibers- original Krupp-made guns)

279.4 mm mortar (10,319 kg, 11.6 calibers- after 1886)

343 mm (13.5") | 343 mm coastal gun (85,405 kg, 35 calibers- after 1889) |
355 mm (14") | 355 mm steel gun (58,493 kg, 22.5 calibers- original Krupp-made gun) |

Note that the second 152.4 mm gun is much heavier than the first for no real advantage in barrel length, and this is apparently because the first one could not make use of its barrel length with the black powder charges it could handle. With smokeless powder its muzzle velocity increased to match the second gun, and this resulted in the longer-barreled third gun being developed to replace the second gun and gain a higher muzzle velocity from smokeless powder.

Unlike most countries, Russia did not replace any siege/fortress/coastal artillery with smaller-caliber artillery when smokeless powder was adopted (about 1892, with the Mosin-Nagant). Instead it simply adopted smokeless powder for its existing guns, or built updated versions of those guns with less weight or more muzzle velocity.

For field guns, however, smokeless powder meant a new set of artillery pieces around 1900:

Gun | Mountain Gun: 76.2 mm (3") M1904 | Field Gun: 76.2 mm (3") M1900 | Field Howitzer: 120 mm M1901
Weight (kg) | 98.3 | 966 | 1065
Shell Weight (kg) | 6.5 | 6.4 | 15.6
Muzzle Velocity (m/s) | 290 | 590 | 300
Range (km) | 4.5 | 8.5 | 6.5

The field gun and howitzer both had primitive recoil systems, either a spring-loaded spade (howitzer) or a long spring with hydraulic brake (gun). Neither fully kept the gun stable so they only reduced the need to re-lay the gun.

After the Canon de 75 was developed and especially the Russo-Japanese War occurred, a new generation of artillery systems with full hydraulic recoil systems was developed in 1902 for a field gun, and the rest in 1909-1913. In 1915 a coastal mortar was added, but it was soon adapted to siege and field use due to the nature of WWI, leaving the following table of artillery in 1914-1918 (combat weight, shell weight, and muzzle velocity listed):

Category | Gun | Howitzer
Mountain | 76.2 mm M1909 (627 kg, 6.23 kg, 387 m/s- and infantry gun version) |

Field

76.2 mm M1902 (1092 kg, 7.5 kg, 589 m/s)
76.2 mm M1913 (939 kg, 7.5 kg, 572 m/s- horse artillery)

122 mm M1910 (1330 kg, 22.8 kg, 335 m/s)

Heavy Field | 107 mm M1910 (2172 kg, 15.4 kg, 630 m/s) | 152 mm M1910 (2250 kg, 43.5 kg, 335 m/s)
Heavy/Siege | 152 mm M1910 (6777 kg, 43.5 kg, 650 m/s) | 203 mm M1913 (7371 kg, 98.3 kg, 305 m/s)
Siege | | Mortier de 280 M1914 (16,218 kg, 205 kg, 418 m/s)
Coastal/Siege | | 305 mm M1915 (63,900 kg, 416.9 kg, 442 m/s)

All of these, except for the M1909 mountain gun, the M1902 field gun, and the M1915 coastal/siege howitzer, are all of the same basic design from Schneider (they are discussed below). There were a variety of makeshift mortars developed during WWI, but none was really standardized on, as opposed to other armies. A 37 mm infantry gun was also developed in 1915.

As a postscript, this is the equivalent Soviet artillery table during mid-late WW2, mainly to replace modernized versions of the WWI artillery (combat weight, shell weight, and muzzle velocity listed):

Artillery size | Gun | Howitzer (or Gun-howitzer in some cases)
Mountain | 76 mm M1938 (785 kg, 6.23 kg, 495 m/s) |
Divisional | 76 mm ZiS-3 (1116 kg, 6.2 kg, 680 m/s) | 122 mm M1938 (M-30) (2450 kg, 21.76 kg, 515 m/s)
Corps (these shared the same carriage) | 122 mm M1931/37 (A-19) (7117 kg, 25 kg, 800 m/s) | 152 mm M1937 (ML-20) (7270 kg, 43.6 kg, 655 m/s)
Heavy (these shared the same carriage) | 152 mm M1935 (Br-2) (18,200 kg, 48.9 kg, 880 m/s) | 203 mm M1934 (B-4) (17,700 kg, 100 kg, 607 m/s)

Spoiler: Schneider system guns

The Schneider guns deserve some mention, as this was one of the most successful gun designs of WWI, and was the basis for many other guns, including many in the French and US armies. The guns all use the "Schneider system," which consists of a quick-acting interrupted-thread breech, a box trail with a sweeping curved design, the "Schneider mechanism" of hydro-pneumatic recoil, and a balanced gun cradle which extends out past the breech. This latter feature serves 3 purposes: the extended cradle behind the gun helps counterbalance the weight of the barrel in front, it provides a good frame to support shell loading and ramming, and it keeps the gun breech from striking the ground. Put simply, the gun will not recoil past the cradle extension. The balanced design of the cradle means there is no need for equilibrators (springs which push against the barrel's weight), simplifying the gun. The "Schneider mechanism" is a very simple hydro-pneumatic recoil system, and is the reason why it was mass-produced while other nations were still using hydro-spring systems. The reason for its simplicity and ease of manufacture and maintenance is its direct contact design:

Source
That floating piston on the upper design is what requires a lot of precision to make- the cylinder must be made to extreme tolerances and the piston perfectly fitted so that absolutely no leaks happen (it can cause the recoil system to fail). The direct contact system avoids this, at the cost of requiring that the gun stay right side up and not having a way to gauge the oil (usually the floating piston has a gauge attached to it so that the oil quantity can be read). The Schneider mechanism also combined the recoil brake and counter recoil buffer into one cylinder (not shown in the above image), a design also used on hydrospring systems, like the Bofors 40 mm gun:

Source (page 72)
The combination of that combined brake/buffer and the direct contact recuperator is what constitutes the Schneider mechanism.

La Rouge Beret said:

Great update Jim and taking a drive with Herr Benz would be awesome.

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It must have been influential OTL with car designers; Charles Rolls taking a drive with Henry Royce was how Rolls-Royce was founded.

First Steps Pt V

Berlin
Königsplatz
September 14 1888

It seemed there was no rest for me. Shortly after meeting with Karl Benz, another German pulled off a new trick. This time it was Friedrich Hermann Wölfert in Cannstatt and this one honestly took me by surprise. I knew of Otto Lilienthal, but he hadn’t performed his first glider flight yet. That was still a few years from happening as I recalled. But Wölfert had not been on my radar. I don’t know if this was a small timer that I just didn’t know about, or butterfly I had somehow created. Either was possible, and baring proof one way or another I wouldn’t know. God, sometimes I would kill for a tablet with internet connections to the 21st century. That would make things so much easier but I had to play the hand I was dealt.

Wölfert through had built an airship, which was cutting edge, but not unheard of. The French even had built the battery powered La France a couple years ago. But what Wölfert did was stick a petrol engine on his airship and used that to power it. Using that system, he had travelled ten kilometers in a control manner, and back. Granted it took him a while to cover that distance, but he made it. After learning of this I had requested him demonstration of his airship.

It was no were as impressive as the C-130s I had jumped out of when I when through Jump School at Benning, but it was still impressive in its own right. I also had to handed it to Wölfert for having balls of steel to fly that thing. You couldn’t pay me enough to fly that contraption, and I had been the guy at the recruiting station going you will pay me to jump out airplanes where to I sign. That said, with some further refinement I could see that having a brief window for useful military application before being overtaken by fixed wing aircraft. It was basically sticking this piece of information in my back pocket for later.

Currently though I was meeting with the Großer Generalstab. I have met with various members of the general staff prior to today, but this was my first time visiting the Großer Generalstab itself. General der Infanterie Julius von Verdy du Vernois had assume command of the Großer Generalstab a few weeks ago from Generalfeldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke. I was here to review various war plans and talk about the current conscription programs and the reserve.

One of the reforms I was looking to push through when dealing with the army was doing away with the Einjährig-Freiwilliger. I thought that whole system was elitist as all hell. Plus, it was generally viewed as a gateway to reserve officer commissions. Someone with only a year of active duty training as an enlisted solider with questionable leadership abilities wasn’t someone, I wanted to lead my reserve formations into battle.

There was an old saying in the world I came from. I don’t know how old the saying was, but I learned it from one of my history professors who I had a lot of respect for. He told me that Realist studied World War One whereas Idealist study World War Two. I personally was somewhere in between the realist camp and the idealist camp so I had studied both in my spare time after leaving college and having earned my history degree. One thing that stood out to me was how bad reserve units were ate up when going into fight regular units though out the war. From what I saw in my studies on the subject a lot of that was because reserve officers and NCOs were out of touch with the changes in warfare since they left active duty. In a lot of cases the various powers simply didn’t have the time to bring them up to snuff and sent them to plug the line as needed. That wasn’t always the case, but it was the rule more often than not. It was one of the many reasons I wanted the Einjährig-Freiwilliger down away with.

Even though I had been an NCO in the 21st century which honestly the more I learned would be something akin to a junior officer in the here and now, I had a lot to learn. It was one of the reasons I had picked Hans von Seeckt as my aide-de-camp. I wanted to learn how the army operated at the platoon and company levels first in the current day in age as I understood that better than anything else at the moment. Further there I would move up to battalion, than regimental, and so on. I wanted to move the reserve to be something more than it currently was. In most nations the reserves were seen as good only for fortress or garrison duty to free up active forces for the front. This had been one of my key takeaways from my time working with Seeckt.

I had other ideas as well. One of my friends had back in Tampa when I had been a teacher in another life had been a member of the 53rd Infantry Brigade. The 53rd had been one of what was known as enhanced readiness brigades within the National Guard system. From the talks I had with him, he explained to me that the whole brigade could be on the move within 72 hours from the word being given to mobilize. Granted it would take a bit longer before they were a whole unit given that the brigade was spread across Florida, but from what he told me in the event of the shit hitting the fan the whole unit could be on a front within a week, ten days at most.

What I wanted to create was at least a quarter of my reserve units to have this enhanced readiness status. I further wanted the officers and the NCOs to be tested yearly so they could stay up to date on the changes in warfare so they wouldn’t be outdated in their training and information and sending my troops into a meat grinder. I would be lavish with my ammunition but stingy with the life of my men, something I had told Verdy du Vernois in our one on one where I was outlining what I wanted to see.

Doing that based on my math would give me a whole extra army to play with in the event of a general mobilization at the start. Yes, it would cost more as it would have an active core that maintain equipment and have the organization staff to manage the mobilization, but it would be worth it for when the war came. Plus having all of the reserve officer corp and senior NCO corp up to snuff, would get me far more able units that would take longer to mobilize but I wouldn’t be sending men to the deaths just in an effort to hold the line. It was a price I was more than willing to pay.

These were just a few of the ideas I was talking with Verdy du Vernois in this meeting. I had outlined a total reform package prior to this meeting. This was just the first step forward. However I needed to get his support to start pushing through these reforms.

First Steps Pt VI

Berlin
Wilhelmstrasse 62
October 21 1888

Today I was visiting my colonial offices for the first time as I was setting a new course in German colonial affairs. After many long nights thinking and talking with Dona I decided on a new course for colonial affairs. My true plan was more aggressive than what I was getting the ball rolling in the here and now, but if I tried to force my true plans through at once there would be major backlash from the colonial lobby. That wouldn’t be helpful, so I had to change things slowly and in sometimes given them the allusion of choice to get them go down the path I wanted them to.

As I walked the halls my mind turned back to Dona. God, I did love that woman. Yet there was more than love between us. She was my confidant and partner in this journey, where ever this journey was taking us. Neither of us knew where this was going but we both were trying to make the best of this. Today I knew was dealing with the issues of setting up the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, as we were planning to go around the Prussian Academy of Sciences. They were too rigid along with being too Prussian for what I want to do with Germany. With her background in science I knew she was going to do a good job there.

Germany had been late to the colonial game and we had only gotten scraps. However, I was going to be playing my hand I had been dealt. I knew in my life time I would never see Germany overtake the United States in terms of pure economic ability, the goal I had at least for my lifetime was to make sure if we ever had to cross swords that gap was not an automatic you lose card. But that said I was looking at the long game, if I could get people into positions of power even after I died it could be possible to overtake the US, but I needed the colonies for that.

After many debates between me and Dona on the pros and cons of each side of the coin we had decided to try and move the colonies down the path of fully bringing them within the German Empire as member kingdom/states. The other choice we had seriously looked at as creating a German Commonwealth along the lines of the British Commonwealth that the British had in the world that me and Dona knew. However, we decided against that for a host of reasons. If we were to overtake the US in pure economic raw power, we had to have more than a commonwealth which they could peel off if they played their cards right. So, we had decided to make these areas as German as Berlin was. Granted it wouldn’t be a perfect copy of European Germany but if done right it would work and it would be the same as the regional differences that were currently here in Germany.

Even through I was playing the hand I was dealt, thankfully this wasn’t Texas hold ’em but Seven Card Draw. There were a few small colonies I had an eye on that I wanted to bring into my empire, along with a big one. There were a few that I was willing to cast off to get those pieces. The first was and what most likely was the easiest to deal with was Germany’s claims to the Tonga and Samoa Archipelagos.

Those Southwest Pacific islands could be profitable for a short while, but in the long term they were a drag on resources. The US and British had claims on Samoa whereas the British only have claims on Tonga. Long term my plan was to sell them for a fat stack of cash to the US in agreement with the British. I frankly needed the cash more than two archipelagos. I had already taken steps to make sure the Apia Cyclone wouldn’t wreck part of my small navy next year. Losing ships over Islands I didn’t want to keep was pointless and stupid.

Some of the smaller pieces I knew was possible to get. Helgoland through that would not be part of the colonial empire as it was North Sea, it currently was controlled by the British. It would be folded into Germany proper once it was return and the needed bureaucracy and political matters was dealt with. The harder one but I still believed it was possible was Walvis Bay. With that deep-water port German Southwest Africa could really become something special in my opinion with the right investments.

The big prize I had my eye on was currently under the personal rule of one ass hat known as Leopold II of Belgium. With the resources of the Congo Germany would become truly an economic powerhouse. But first I had to get Leopold to hand over that colony, and that was not going to be an easy task. This would have to a powerplay in more than one way for it to happen. I already had a few ideas in mind, but I was refining them a bit more before putting them in motion. I wasn’t about to go off half cocked on something that damn important.

All that was important, but the critically important piece of the puzzle was the reason I was here today. I wanted to create a school system within the colonies and start getting the kids there to think of themselves as Germans. Would it be an easy task, no, no it wouldn’t be. That said it wouldn’t be fun if it was easy. Along with schools I wanted to start various infrastructure projects in the colonies along with picking the cream of the crop to become officers in the military. The latter would be latter once I had gotten the first generation through the school system there.

It was ambitious but achievable. Today was the first step on the path of achieving these goals.

OTL French Artillery

J VonAxel said:

-Besides the first tier Great Powers everyone else are late adopters. Unless they get lucky like Belgium with their upcoming Mauser. Even the Great Powers would often refrain from adopting new technology in certain areas, for instance the US and rifles, as they weren't considered relevant for them.

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Except for France, the opposite is true. The FK 96 n.A. (2) article on Landships explains this in more detail:

In the immediate years following 1900 it was clear that weapons produced by the great gun makers for sale on the open market were far in advance of official military patterns which were subject to the customary long period of development testing and evaluation usually demanded by the military authorities. The inevitable frustrating delays associated with the latter procedure usually left the traditional arms-producing countries at a certain disadvantage as it was possible for the smaller states of the world to go straight to the gun makers and pick up the very latest patterns available. This is what was happening in Germany. While the 7.7 cm Model 96 became the standard field gun of the German artillery, Krupp and Erhardt were busily supplying countries all over the world with vastly superior weapons and ammunition. Even Britain had taken the unprecedented step of buying modern recoiling 15 pounders from Erhardt after the lessons learnt from the Boers in South Africa, who had not been slow in taking advantage of this unique situation in arms supply.

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Also, for reference, I finished making tables of the French artillery of WWI (plus info on Bonagente grousers):
Spoiler: French Artillery In the late 1870's until 1897, the modern French artillery was mostly comprised of de Bange artillery, both in field and siege artillery. So this makes the overall table simpler to make, as there's no need for separate field/mountain and siege/fortress artillery tables. The table simply is all de Bange guns in the 1870s and 1880s (gun weight, shell weight, and muzzle velocity listed):

Gun type | Gun | Howitzer | Mortar
Mountain | 80 mm Mle 1878/1881 (300 kg, 6.3 kg, 257 m/s) | |

Field

80 mm Mle 1877 horse (955 kg, 5.9 kg, 525 m/s)
90 mm Mle 1877 field (1200 kg,8.68 kg, 500 m/s)

100 mm coastal

100 mm Mle 1881 TR (3130 kg, 16.2 kg, 580 m/s)
100 mm Mle 1889 TR (3130 kg, 16.2 kg, 760 m/s)

120 mm siege/fortress

120 mm L Mle 1878 (2700 kg,18.3 kg, 484 m/s)
smokeless (2700 kg, 20.35 kg, 613 m/s)

155 mm siege/fortress

155 mm L Mle 1877 (5700 kg, 40 kg, 470 m/s)
smokeless (5700 kg, 43.5 kg, 561 m/s)

155 mm C Mle 1881 (2155 kg, 40 kg, 303 m/s)

220 mm siege/fortress

220 mm Mle 1881 (4246 kg, 98 kg, 260 m/s)
220 mm Mle 1881/89 (8500 kg, 100.5 kg, 300 m/s)

240 mm coastal | 240 mm L Mle 1884 (14,000 kg, 162 kg, 575 m/s) | |

270 mm siege/coastal

274 mm G Mle 1881 (47,000 kg, 350 kg, 590 m/s)

siege 270 mm Mle 1885 (16,500 kg, 230 kg, 355 m/s)
coastal 270 mm Mle 1889 (26,500 kg, 230 kg, 355 m/s)

300 mm coastal | | | 300 mm Mle 1883 (25,600 kg, 292 kg, 265 m/s)

The fortress weapons included a variant of the 155 Mle 1877 in an early turret (the Mougin turret), otherwise the large fortress guns were identical to siege guns and used in the open, as in other countries of the era. There were several other smaller weapons in casemates to sweep flanks (ditches):

Gun | 40 mm Hotchkiss revolver Mle 1879 | Canon de 12 culasse | 95 mm G Mle 1888 sur affût SP
Gun weight (kg) | 688 | 1140 | 1850
Shell weight (kg) | 1.08 | 12.4 | 11.06
Muzzle velocity (m/s) | ? | 237 | 444
ROF (rounds/min) | 60 | 1 | 1

Those last 2 are obsolete guns that have been modernized, in the Canon de 12's case a smoothbore muzzle-loading 12-pounder fitted with a breech mechanism. This may seem hopeless in the 1880's but there is a good reason for this. The guns are designed to fire down fortress ditches, and this means that the gun will fire at short range, and more importantly must be weak enough to not damage its own fort walls. Older guns with their lower muzzle velocity were perfect for this, and were usually loaded only with canister for this reason. This was also done by the British with their smoothbores for the same reason (will be in their update).

In the late 1880's with the development of smokeless powder, 2 new howitzers were developed. Their purpose was the same as the Russian M1885 6-inch field mortar and the later German 15 cm sFH 93: to provide heavy field firepower against trenches. Unlike those 2, they used an early hydraulic recoil system, but didn't use nickel steel barrels like the sFH 93 did. Note that this early recoil system only reduced recoil, it didn't eliminate it entirely so the gun still had to be re-laid after each shot:

Gun | Obusier de 120 mm C modèle 1890 | Obusier de 155 mm C modèle 1890
Weight (kg) | 1475 | 3315
Shell weight (kg) | 20 | 40
Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 284 | 303
Range (m) | 5700 | 6300

The 155 mm model used the same barrel and breech as the 155 mm C Mle 1881 de Bange howitzer, and thus had the same ballistics and shells. In exchange for its heavier firepower, it could not be fired from its traveling carriage like the 120 mm howitzer could, and had to be set up on a firing carriage first.

In the 1890's the French army undertook a major development program to perfect the hydraulic recoil system, resulting in the Canon de 75 Mle 1897, the first modern artillery piece. This for a time was believed to be so powerful as to be the only gun France required, but after the Russo-Japanese War a new program was undertaken to slowly modernize or replace France's other artillery. Prior to this, the only other new gun France adopted was the 155 C Mle 1904 TR, a very innovative gun with the first spring-loaded power rammer that I know of (used on many AA guns). It could achieve the same ROF as the Canon de 75, 15 rpm briefly, but on land it was heavier than its counterparts (its barrel was taken from 155 C Mle 1881's for cost savings) and its barrel burned out faster from the rate of fire, and it was never used on a naval gun where these weren't a problem.

With the new program, Schneider took advantage of its guns recently designed for the Russian military and adapted the guns to either French ammunition or mounted French gun barrels on them. Older guns were also modernized with Bonagente grousers (covered below). However, this project had only gotten underway with a few orders made (and only the light artillery delivered) when war broke out. So at the start of WWI, this was France's intended modern artillery park (gun weight, shell weight, muzzle velocity):

Gun type | Field Gun | Howitzer
Mountain | Canon de 65 M Mle 1906 (400 kg, 4.5 kg, 330 m/s) |

Field/horse

Field Canon de 75 Mle 1897 (1140 kg, 5.24 kg, 550 m/s)
Horse Canon de 75 Mle 1912 (965 kg, 5.24 kg, 515 m/s)

Heavy Field | Canon de 105 Mle 1913 (2350 kg, 15.7 kg, 555 m/s) | Obusier de 155 1904 CTR (3200 kg, 43 kg, 291 m/s)
Heavy | Canon de 155 Mle 1877/1914 (6010 kg, 43.5 kg, 561 m/s) |
Siege | | Mortier de 280 Mle 1914 (16,220 kg, 205 kg, 418 m/s)

The Canon de 75 Mle 1912 was a Schneider design using their usual system, but was not based on a Russian design. The Canon de 105 Mle 1913, 155 Mle 1877/1914, and Mortier de 280 Mle 1914 were based on Russian artillery of the day (the 107, 155, and 280 mm guns respectively). Neither had been delivered yet at the outbreak of war, and only 104 Obusier de 155 1904 CTRs were built. This resulted in France's shortage of heavy artillery in the first 2 years of WWI.

When the Canon de 75 Mle 1897 was being introduced, the fortress artillery was also modernized, based mainly on shortened Canon de 75's and 155 Mle 1877s with recoil systems, in turrets and casemates. This resulted in a twin turret version of the Canon de 75, a casemate version, and a turreted 155 Mle 1877. Turrets were usually retractable in French designs, with experiments in 1888 resulting in 155 mm Bussière turrets, then twin Galopin turrets, and then finally the single 155 mm and twin 75 mm turrets widely adopted prior to WWI.

After the start of WWI, France built modern heavy artillery, resulting in more use of Russian Schneider designs, but also 2 new and more modern designs than the Schneider guns. By the end of the war their modern artillery equipment looked like this:

Gun type | Field Gun | Howitzer
Mountain | Canon de 65 M Mle 1906 (400 kg, 4.5 kg, 330 m/s) |
Field | Canon de 75 Mle 1897 (1140 kg, 5.24 kg, 550 m/s) |
Heavy Field | Canon de 105 Mle 1913 (2350 kg, 15.7 kg, 555 m/s) | Canon de 155 C Mle 1917 (3300 kg, 43.55 kg, 450 m/s)
Heavy | Canon de 155 GPF (11,200 kg, 43.1 kg, 735 m/s) | Mortier de 220 Mle 1916 TR (7800 kg, 100 kg, 415 m/s)
Siege | Canon de 220 L Mle 1917 (26,000 kg, 104 kg, 770 m/s) | Mortier de 280 Mle 1914 (16,220 kg, 205 kg, 418 m/s)
Heavy siege | | Mortier de 370 Mle 1914 (26,800 kg, 540 kg, 318 m/s)

All howitzers except the 370 Mle 1914, plus the 105 Mle 1913 gun, were based on Russian Schneider designs. The 220 L Mle 1917 was the first gun of its size to be used in a mobile form, and the 155 GPF was especially innovative, as it was the first gun of its size to be given a split trail and the first gun of any kind to be given suspension for high-speed towing in a single load. The 220 L Mle 1917, the 280 Mle 1914, and a 194 GPF were also used to arm the first modern self-propelled gun.

In addition to this, the French quickly developed the most widely used trench gun of the war, and a large variety of mortars. Only Austria-Hungary came close to this many improvised mortars in WWI. Some of these literally were 1829 smoothbore mortars pulled out of armories, but eventually the makeshift mortars gave way to 4 standard designs that France used by the end of WWI:

- Light mortar: Stokes mortar (47 kg, 5.35 kg, ? m/s) (adopted from Britain)

- Medium mortar: Mortier de 58 mm type 2 (410 kg, 16-45 kg, 63-129 m/s)

- Heavy mortar: Mortier de 150 T Mle 1917 Fabry (615 kg, 17 kg, 156 m/s)

- Large caliber mortar: Mortier de 240 LT Mle 1916 (3600 kg, 81 kg, 145 m/s)

After this, French artillery was slightly updated for WWII, but not by much, with the main changes being in the new Brandt mortars and newer 105 mm field howitzers and guns. Other than that their artillery in 1940 was largely existing WWI guns, updated for higher towing speeds with pneumatic tires and suspension (France maintained a large army after WWI, and couldn't afford to replace all its equipment).

Spoiler: Bonagente grousers history/explanation To understand the Bonagente grousers, it is first important to know one of the fundamental historical distinctions between siege and field artillery. By the Napoleonic Wars, it was customary for field artillery to be limited to guns of 12-pounder or smaller. As Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III) wrote about his new lightweight 12-pounder:

We have already mentioned the difficulties Gribeauval met with in doing away with the 8-inch howitzers, and introducing the 6-inch for field artillery, the latter being said to be too small, and of insufficient effect, but we have not mentioned the objections made to this great artillerist when he wished to exclude the 24-pounder gun, which at that time always entered into field trains. What! said they; do you not admit that obstacles affording cover to the enemy often present themselves in war, which may be penetrated by a 24-pounder shot fired with 12 lbs. of powder, but not by a 12-pounder shot fired from your short pieces with the reduced charge of 4 lbs? The earthen parapets of a field fortification come under this head. How could you then entirely renounce such a power?

Gribeauval, after having replied that these cases were exceptional, and that this very rare advantage for 24-pounders was dearly purchased at the expense of the constant inconveniences attending them, could not triumph over those adversaries in the corps of artillery, who were influenced by custom. Fortunately, however, he was able to bring it before a council of the Marshals of France, and all the artillerists of Europe have since adopted the improvements which he had such difficulty in accomplishing.

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Source: The Emperor Napoleon's New System of Field Artillery (page 90)

Another source about 16-pounders being excluded comes later, in Napoleon's discussions about his System An XI:

Guns of higher calibre than 12 pounders. are very useless. We have acted wisely in suppressing the 16 pounder which the Prussians and Austrians still drag about.

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Source

Yet, both of these artillerists, and most experience in that era, suggested that bigger field artillery was better up to 12-pounders, and the 12-pounder cannon itself was highly regarded by many. Napoleon himself increased their number for their effectiveness, and the above book where Louis Napoleon wrote about the 24-pounder was advocating the new light 12-pounder as the replacement for all other smaller pieces of field artillery. So what made field artillery more effective as size increased up to 12-pounders, and what made it "very useless" as soon as guns got bigger than that?

To answer this question, it is best to look at images and paintings of siege artillery during that era and notice how they were fired. Take these images, for example, of various pieces of siege artillery:
Long Tom at Mafeking (1899-1900)
Again, Long Tom at Mafeking (1899-1900)
Prussian 24-pounder siege guns at Paris (1870)

68-pounder Lancaster gun at Sevastopol (1854)
Siege artillery at Badajoz (1811)

All of these guns have some parapets and protection, but more importantly they are all on wooden platforms. This is apparently common to all pieces of siege artillery, as while there are images of siege artillery sitting on normal grass, they are not in firing position from those places. When reading about the 155 de Bange on Wikipedia, this is further supported:

In its original (1877) conception, the cannon required a wooden platform from which to fire.
...
In October 1914, a program was started to fit the 155 L wheels with a system of metallic soles and gutters articulated together. The use of this system—known as cingoli or Bonagente wheel belts after the name of their Italian inventor—eliminated the laborious construction of wooden platforms. The cingoli tracks added 800 kilograms to the gun's total weight, but saved 5 tons of bedding material that otherwise had to be transported for the wooden platforms. The use of cingolis also reduced the time required to deploy the 155 mm gun from 5–6 hours to just one hour.

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So this is probably why the distinction between siege and field guns was where it was, and why guns larger than 12-pounders became useless in field battles. They required a wooden platform to be constructed first, and that immediately and massively outweighed any advantage in firepower. The 155 de Bange, for example, weighed 5.7 tons and required 5 tons of bedding, so it stands to reason that most siege guns required their own weight in bedding to be transported with them in addition to the extra time to set them up. So the best field guns were the biggest ones that could be fired without a platform, and that seems to have been the 12-pounder cannon (15-pounder with smokeless powder), which is why it was so effective and was about the shell size of most late-19th century field guns.

The use of Bonagente grousers/wheel belts, also known as cingoli (chains in Italian) or Radgürteln (wheel belts in German), largely eliminated this disadvantage of heavy artillery. It still required some preparation, but the Bonagente grousers acted like little platforms attached to the wheels and under the trail, giving the gun its own stability. The wheel belts could be disconnected for transport and carried just like the bedding for the platforms they replaced (they weighed a lot less). They were apparently very widely used, from many Italian pieces (like this 149 mm gun), to the aforementioned de Bange artillery, to the British 6-inch 26 cwt, to the German 21 cm Mörser 10. Some larger guns like the BL 8-inch howitzer had large wide wheels that already had lots of area, but for guns with narrower wheels this seems to be a critical development in giving them the mobility of field guns. In fact, this may have been the critical development that finally eliminated siege artillery, and allowed all guns to be used as field artillery.

For more details, this site mentions how Bonagente grousers work, their inventor (Crispino Bonagente), and has a link to the 1899 patent. The full system involves the wheel belts, recoil wedges behind the wheels, modifying the brakes since the wheel belts prevent the usual system from working, and a small platform under the trail to support and help brake the gun.

Overall, this I find a very interesting technology, especially for SI's since it looks like it requires a bit of work but probably could have been invented in some form much earlier, even in ancient times if cannons had existed back then.

Information Source Three

only in german

Chronologie der deutschen Gewerkschaftsbewegung von 1794 bis 1918 / von Dieter Schuster. - Teil: Chronologie 1888-1889

First Steps Pt VII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 15 1888

I was in my uniform for my weekly Friday meeting with officers of the army being promoted to Oberst and naval officers being promoted to Kapitän zur See. In these meetings I always wore an army uniform. Even though I had plans for the navy, I needed to focus on the army first so I could position Germany in a position to win the first war in Europe. Only once I had secured my position in Europe would a navy see rapid growth. This was why I wore an army uniform to these events; it was symbolism pure and simple.

This one area that me and Dona still disagree on. She believed that it would be possible for us to guide Europe through at least the early 1950s peacefully. Possibly even form a European Union like organization to help weld Europe together into one united form. I doubted any of that was possible for a host of reasons. Maybe if a couple of other modern 21st century minds were dropped into other monarchs across Europe, and France could get a stabilized government with 21st century minds leading it, then maybe it might be possible. Even then, the best odds I would give it would be 30%.

In the hear in now, no way in hell to stop one Weltkrieg, and given the unlikely event that the British allowed me to totally crush both the French and Russians there would be a second. Ego was the primary reason I believed that the First Weltkrieg would happen. As to the second take your pick of reasons, but unless both the French and Russians were crushed with an economic system to tie them to Berlin a second one would happen simply because of the bloody British wanting to make sure no one European power could be a threat to them. Given that there would be a second, the question was when and what bullshit started it.

As why Ego might be the cause of it as I heard Dona’s sweet voice in my head asking that question again? The French would never accept German rule of Elsaß-Lothringen. To many people in France were talking of the Lost Province, or the Black Stain as I seen it called in French newspapers I had read as I learned French. They were going to want it back, and they would find a reason for war in effort to retake it, and they were looking to the bear of the east to help.

Currently the Russians were looking east to Asia for expansion. They were bound to run up against Japanese efforts at expansion. That alone will lead to a war, it wasn’t a question of if but when. If it would spin out of control or not was a different question all together. Once they defeat Japan or Japan defeated them, they would turn their long eye back to Europe and the Straits. That would bring us into conflict. I had my own designs on Europe along with wanting to build up the Ottoman Empire and I wanted them to keep the bulk of the land they currently held. Once Dona had our first, I would travel to the Ottoman Empire to visit them in effort to build inroads there. My foreign office was already working there, but I would need to make a trip to really feel out the Ottomans to see if I could make my plan of trading weapons and training for oil rights work.

As for the Russo-Japanese clash which was all but a given to happen, was because of the Liaodong Peninsula. Frankly I couldn’t give a damn about that peninsula. Pushing those personal feelings aside through I understood why the Liaodong Peninsula was strategically important to both Russia and Japan. I further understood the wealth that Manchuria offered to whoever controlled it. If I had my way, I would make sure in the aftermath of any Russo-Japanese War that the Japanese would get it. This way I hopefully get saner leadership than what happened in history I knew in Japan along with them looking north instead of south where my own plans for Asia centered on.

Diplomacy was a fun game if a tricky one. The goal as far as I could tell when you were at odds with someone was simply this. To tell them in such an etiquette manner to go to hell that they would leave the meeting and return to their house. Once there they would pack their own bags and go to hell on their own accord. It however, was a different ball game when you were on friendly terms with them. That was trickier as you have to strike a better balance there. Each had their own uses.

Which brought me back to this meeting. War was a form of diplomacy. Instead of telling something in an etiquette manner to go to hell, war simply brought hell to them instead. I knew sooner or later I would have to bring hell to both the French and Russians via war. Even with the British on my side the first time around I didn’t want to duke it out in the trenches. I wanted officers who understood that warfare was changing and technology would force new tactics and ideas into use. It was why I had these meetings. I needed to weed out those who couldn’t adopt and were too such in their ways.

I kept these meetings small to get know these officers. Prior to this meeting, there had been a few names that stood out above the others simply because of my knowledge of history. Today however there was a name that screamed out above the rest. That name was Alfred Peter Friedrich Tirpitz, who was being promoted to Kapitän zur See. He was the solo naval officer here, but if it was up to me Tirpitz would be hunting for land mines with a god damn hammer based solely on his reputation from the world I knew him through.

One of my goals was to pull the British into an informal alliance so when it was time, I would be able to get them in on my side against Russia and France when that war came. The way to do that was not to challenge the British on the high seas. All Germany needed at the moment was a small core of capital ships with the bulk of the fleet being cruisers to maintain its colonial empire. Tirpitz along with the naval league wanted to push the Kaiserliche Marine into being the equal of the Royal Navy. There were so many follies with that idea at the moment I would run out of fingers and toes to count them on.

With these events the first part was always formal. Prior to the meeting starting the officers in the room would be talking between themselves. I assume they were talking shop talk, but I wasn’t sure. Then my trusty aide-de-camp and newly promoted Hauptmann Hans von Seeckt enter the room before me and announce my entrance into the room. At that all the officers would snap to attention and form an inspection line as I enter the room. Before hand they had been briefed on what order to stand in. This was so I wouldn’t screw up their names and allow me to put a face with the name. I would walk down the row salute each them. Then von Seeckt would read off a short standard statement as I placed their new shoulder boards on them that was a symbol of their new rank that they had just been promoted to. That short and standard statement was a rehash of the short speech I got when I had been in the US Army when I had gotten more stripes, and then my rocker. It had been modified to fit this through and was not a word for word copy. I would congrats them and shake their hands then move on.

Once they were all wearing their new shoulder boards, we would have some shop talk about various things that were going on in the world of the military affairs. I would have Hans at my side during this. Topics during this ranged from new weapons to new ideas I was trying to inject into the German Army. Those that seem to be the most resistance to these ideas I would try to sideline their careers to the best of my ability. The navy was really a back-burner issue at the moment, but it still came up in these meetings.

Then around 8 at night I would look at my wrist watch and call in closing time on that and ask if they wish to join me for a drink. They always said yes. Then we would go a room over where we would all order a drink or a beer and keep the conversation going on. I would limit myself to a pair of drinks in these meetings and space them out. I had to keep my wits about me, as I was making up my mind about these officers, and some cases deciding to end their careers.

Around ten at night I would end the meeting. Then I would send about 90 minutes with Hans writing my notes about each officer in these meetings. After which my notes would be put in my personal files and I would try to get officers I believed would do well into positions to advance their career. Those who were to stuck in the ways of the 19th century and couldn’t change their ways I would try to sideline their careers. Tirpitz’s career I would have to do more than sideline. I would have to destroy his career. What he wanted to achieve with the navy was what I did not want. This was not the time nor place to get into pissing match with the Royal Navy. That man was a fucking danger to Germany.

First Steps Pt IX

Berlin
Stadtschloss
December 18 1888

I could see Dona was pissed with my train of thought. I could also she that she was having issues finding holes in my logic. I personally believed that she still hadn’t fully accepted that this was the late 19th century and not the early 21st century. The rules were different. Further with every passing year, the generations that remembered the hell of the Napoleonic Wars were fewer and fewer. Plus, it wasn’t helping matters that most of the European wars since then had been short wars lasting only months at most.

Dona then looked at me, “What about Austria-Hungary? Why not try to create a free trade pact with them? At least start the seeds of an EU there than grow it after your great victory that you have planned?” I could sense the sarcasm in her voice at the later part.

“Ugh.” Was my first reaction. “Dona, if it was up to me, I would weld the bulk of Cisleithania on to the Empire itself. Then march an army to Budapest and force the Hungarians to accept any agreement. Then give the Ottomans Bosnia back and give the Romanians Bukovina and the Croats their independence.”

I honestly didn’t think the Austro-Hungarians would survive any major war. They had too many fault lines and no political will to fix them. And I wasn’t lying, I would be happy with the bulk of Cisleithania as part of the German Empire. I would have no issues given the Czechs and Slovenes the same deal I was working on giving the Poles in Posen. If they would accept it was a different question all together, but I wouldn’t be against adding them to my empire.

“Well its not up to you. So why not offer them a free trade agreement?”

“Simple, Budapest. They are going to want to many bloody concessions to make it a buyable deal let alone worth it. The Magyars are so bloody high on themselves its honestly disgusting. You could cut them off at the knees and they would still think they are ten feet tall and bulletproof. I honestly don’t understand how they are that full of themselves but they are. Then there is the elephant in the room when you are talking about the Austro-Hungarian Empire.”

“Who or what is that elephant Wilhelm?”

“Franz-Joseph dear. The man is a bloody reactionary. Some within the Cisleithania part of the Austro-Hungarian government would be in favor of a free trade pact, but Franz-Joseph would never accept it. Hell, if I had to guess that man would want to break off the southern German Kingdoms to form a Catholic German Confederation and get revenge for 1866. The only problem is the geo-politic map is so against him he has to be allied with us for his empire will be destroy. He might be a reactionary but he isn’t stupid.”

“So, you can still try Wilhelm. You have seemed to given up on the idea without even looking into the possibly of making it happen. You seem hell bent on going to war to create what you want; its all stick and no carrot with you.”

“Do you honestly think I want a war? I have seen the horrors of war first hand, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone! There had been many nights with be being unable to sleep because of what I saw. The thing is the rules are different here and now. I come to accept we are playing chess; were you are still trying to play checkers. The rules are different. The best I can do is make any wars short and to the point and achieve long standing goals in the process. If you truly want to help, start working with the red cross. Hell take an effort at getting the Hague and Geneva Conventions started earlier than we knew.”

There was a moment of silence between us as we each needed time to think. Dona was the first to speak. “Will you help me with those efforts Wilhelm?” She said in a softer voice and tone than she had been using for the past 20 or 30 minutes since she brought this up again.

My first thought was maybe I finally gotten through to her that the rules are different and we need to play by those rules or get burned. “Yes, I will.”

We both then returned to the corners getting our thoughts in our mind. She then stepped first and put my head closer to hers till our lips locked together.

1888 End of the Year Update

1888

Greetings Everyone. This is going to be something different than the normal end of year updates I will do in the future for this TL. Namely because at this point in the TL our SIs in Wilhelm and Dona have been creating butterflies, but the wakes of those ripples aren’t that noticeable at the moment, well for the most part. Then again, they had been working together for less than year so that to be expected.

Unlike other end of year updates there will not be a breakdown of date and this happened. Instead I’m going to be breaking down things in a few different areas using a standard template that will be seen, save for the last box that will be only in this update. This last box will explain a few things on why there are only a pair of updates per week right now even through this is my primary TL at this point.

Domestic

Just as the top bullet point states this area will be covering changes not only to domestic policy but general changes in Germany. So new laws and polices will be found in this section along. This section will also cover things that are changing within Germany because of our SIs actions within Germany.

Our Wilhelm has started a trend of running within Germany. He is known for running 8 kilometers per day no matter weather or where he is. Currently he is clocking in about 31 to 32 minutes per run. His running has caused the formation of a small number of running clubs within Germany. They are mostly in the middle class areas of the German population, but they are growing. Both Wilhelm and Dona are trying to promote healthy living habits so the Germany is a healthy nation overall.

Another change is the fact the Kaiser has been and will be credited with the ‘invention’ of basketball. This however isn’t full court NBA basketball. Its more three on three half court basketball. The SI in Wilhelm’s body had always used basketball as a stress relief and built a court and started to play it before figuring out that basketball hadn’t been invented yet. It was an oops moment for him. He however has passed it off to those that had asked questions as a way to strengthen his arm that is suffering from Erb’s palsy. That said this hasn’t caught on like his running, but he has only played a few games and all with members of his personal staff.

Finally the most noticeable change on the political front was the formation of Die Deutsche Jugendbewegung. This a group that is designed to promote German nationalism and German unity. Wilhelm and Dona founded the DDJ for short in Munich. Honestly this is getting a fair bit of play at the moment and is proving to be a fast growing organization with most major cities having chapters that number in the hundreds if not low thousands. Medium size cities generally but not always have a chapter there with numbers ranging from about a dozen to low hundreds. Smaller cities and towns its hit and miss, but if there is a chapter in one of these they at most have a dozen members.

Changes within the Government Personal

This section is going to be active when there are changes to the chancellor of Germany, the ministries, along with the armed forces of Germany. There will also be the rare occasion it will touch on a famous person from OTL that normally wouldn’t warrant coverage here, but the change is important enough that its covered. That said this section will not always be used but here it is.

Following Bismarck being forced out of the government following Frederick the Fourth selecting that regnal name a massive shake up happened within the German and Prussian governments.

The biggest and most notable change was that the offices of Chancellor of Germany and Minister President of Prussia were broken up with one person holding each office. Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher was named as the new Chancellor of Germany with Rudolf Arnold being named the Minister President of Prussia. Even though this change was done when Frederick was the Kaiser and Wilhelm was the crown prince, it has Wilhelm fingerprints all over it. This is part of Wilhelm’s on going effort to get people within the German Empire to think of themselves as German and not pre-unification nation here.

For the Vice Chancellor’s office Leo von Caprivi took over, along with taking over the Minister of Interior slot. He did resign his commissions from both the army and navy for this through.

Over at the Foreign Ministry Paul von Hatzfeldt took over from Bismarck’s son.

The new Chief of the General Staff is Julius von Verdy du Vernois who took over briefly as the deputy following Alfred von Waldersee being reassigned to III Corp. Once Verdy became the Chief of the General Staff, Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff became the deputy.

Then finally the last major move was over at Naval HQ. Friedrich von Hollmann was on the junior side but was selected to take over from von Caprivi.

On the side of normally that wouldn’t warrant such covering here, but is, the new aide-de-camp to Wilhelm. This is Hans von Seeckt. However this is only the first of a small number of aide-de-camps Wilhelm is planning to have, he is already on the search for a battalion level equal for his next aide-de-camp as he is working on understanding the here-and-now military system so he doesn’t royally fuck something up.

Newly Signed Treaties

Like the title states, this will be covering treaties signed along with the details of such treaties. In 1888 there are no new treaties of note.

Foreign Relations with key Foreign Nations

This section will be outlining how Germany relations with other Great Powers or key nations are at the end of each year. At the moment, this will only cover relations with the United States of America, the British Empire, the Third Republic of France, the Kingdom of Italy, Austria-Hungary, and the Russian Empire. In time other nations will be added or possibly nations will be removed from this list. It really depends on a host of factors as to what will cause either a nation to be added or removed from this list.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment or Ships Ordered

This section is going to covering new equipment being adopted by the army or navy. In time the Luftwaffe will be part of this, but that’s off in the distance future of this TL. This will range from service pistols issued to general officers all the way up to full on super dreadnoughts and fleet carriers. Some smaller things will not be covered, like minesweepers, aircraft transports, etc.

But given this is the first update let me explain something here. This is not going to be a massive wank of military forces and tech. I’m for the most part had put in place a system to make believable advances in tech and equipment. Lets take tanks just an example. Anyone who has studied history in the modern era understands how important tanks are to the battlefield. Yet just because the SI knows it is possible doesn’t mean he can snap his fingers and start equipping his army with tanks. The tech simply isn’t there yet. Plus, the machine tools to make them isn’t there. With the latter honestly being more important IMO.

Does this mean you will be seeing just OTL equipment bumped up by a massive bit of time? Nope. Do not expect, and keeping with the tank example, FT-17s to be showing up around the turn of the century. Things will be changing, but I’m still working out of all the details on these changing to not on the German military but military forces from around the world. Yes I mean worldwide as because every action has an equal causes a reaction. This is not Newton’s third law through.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

This section is covering the well being of both our SIs. They both know to effect history they need to live long and healthy lives. As such they are eating better and working out. Wilhelm’s Erb’s Palsy is still there. The biggest thing of note is Dona is about seven months along with what would be her first child she carried from the fun part to delivery. Currently she is projecting to deliver in late February or early March.

Status

Ok then, this is not going to be the section that is not normally part of these updates. But I felt like a status update explaining things was in order here.

Even through An American in Berlin is my primary TL at this point, I’m getting out only a pair of updates per-week instead of my normal update per day or close to that. There is a reason for this. As hinted in the military equipment section, I’m planning out a host of things right now. I have a general outline for this done already, in truth I been setting on this outline for a few years now, but haven’t planned out the finer details.

That’s why I’m doing with the bulk of my time on this TL in my writing time, I’m working out the finer details that will be needed to make this work out in the end. Given the scope of what I have planned, its going to take time to work out these finer details. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if by the time I get done with those finer details I will have put hundreds, possibly over thousand hours into working them out. Yes, there is going to be that many notes.

Plus there is the reading I’m doing to help this TL out. Currently I’m finishing up Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan, and I’m planning to go on to Dreadnought by Robert Massie with plans for a few other books, well assuming I can find them at the used book store I shop at. I have finished Paris 1919, but hadn’t started Dreadnought as I hadn’t been wanting to take my books into work because of COVID. So I’m not reading as much as I want to. But if you guys have any books you think might be worth the read let me know.

This is without question my most ambitious project I have started to date. So, I hope you guys and girls understand why updates are slow in coming from me. Any thoughts? Comments?

First Steps Pt X

Near Vienna
German Royal Train
February 2 1889

One of the most vexing questions that me and Dona had faced to date was the question to try and do anything to stop the Mayerling Incident. After much debate we decided there was nothing we could do. If he didn’t enter into a suicide pact with Mary, he would find another mistress to perform a suicide pact with. Hell, I didn’t even believe Mary was the first mistress that Rudolf had tried to form a suicide pact with. I didn’t know how many mistresses that man had, but he damn sure couldn’t keep it in his pants. Now that didn’t matter as he was dead.

Further neither of us liked the changing stories that had been coming out of the Mayerling Hunting Lodge. Even through this happened a few days ago there had been a number of changes to the official story of what happened. It had shifted from Rudolf having a heart attack, to heart failure, then finally a few hours ago to a murder-suicide pact. Frankly we both knew the truth of the matter, but couldn’t let it out that we knew it was a suicide pact for political reasons. Even through I had no love for Franz-Joseph, I wasn’t crazy enough to try a three-sided war at once. So, it was best to keep Franz-Joseph on my side, at least for now.

Dona wasn’t all that happy about having to travel at the moment for the funeral of Rudolf. Then again, she was moving slowly as she came to set next to me as I looked out the windows as we travelled to Vienna for the funeral of Rudolf. It took a moment for her and her heavily weighted pregnant frame to set down. She was about eight months along at this point, but given her size she might be carrying twins. “What are you thinking about dear?”

As I turned to look at my lovely wife, “About the future of the Duel Monarchy.” From my study of history prior to ending up in the body of Wilhelm, I knew that the Mayerling Incident was a critical moment for Austria-Hungary. Hell, in a junior level history research paper that the Mayerling Incident was the moment that started Austria-Hungary’s path to being destroyed. Granted it only started the Austro-Hungarian Empire down that path. If not for Redl they might have been able to pull it out through. It was one of those mega disaster chain of events. Remove one link it doesn’t happen. What happen at the hunting lodge was the first link in the chain that saw Austria-Hungary destroyed. Redl was another.

Even through we have known each other for less than a year we have learned a great deal about each other in that time. She knew the tone I was speaking with. “Spill it. What is troubling you?”

“I’m having issues figuring out what course of action to take over Redl.”

“Redl is the arch-traitor. So why are you having trouble figuring out where to go with what course of action you are going with him.” Dona figured Wilhelm would order Redl’s assassination and not lose any sleep over it.

“I will not order the assassination of an innocent man for something he might do.” Even though I knew he played for the other team and it was only a matter of time before he was caught by the Russians and pressured into passing on state secrets. I however this was a line I would not cross, I would not order assassinations of people for things they might do even if I knew he would at some point.

Dona leaned back and thought for a moment. Wilhelm, god love him, was one of the most complex person she had ever met. One moment he would talk about build an empire that ran from the North Sea to the Adriatic with a massive network of puppet states in Eastern Europe. And at the same time turning Mittelafrika into part of Germany proper. Then the next moment he would not kill a single man because he hadn’t done anything yet even through it was a given he would. It was a strange mix of ideas that made up Wilhelm.

I turned back to watch the countryside pass by. I could tell we were near Vienna as the train was slowing. “I’m further debating how to handle Elisabeth. She is only five years old now or so. However she could be a useful ally in the event of Austria-Hungary collapses.”

First Steps Pt XI

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 27 1889

Personally, I wanted to be with Dona at the moment but affairs of state demanded that I be here instead. She had given birth to a beautiful pair of twins yesterday, a baby boy and girl. It had been a painful 12 hours after her water broke at 3 in the morning, but in the end the pain was worth it. For the first time both us had welcomed our own children into the world. True we did have the four boys from prior to taking over these bodies, but we were there from start to finish and for us that was a first.

We had sent the rest of the day talking about the names for them. Finally, we settled on Frederick for the boy and Victoria Louise for the girl. That wasn’t publicly known yet, but it would be announced in the next 24 hours. Yet the news that Dona had given birth to healthy twins was widely known within Germany at the moment. Following the stillbirth that she had suffered from when we entered these bodies was joyful news within Germany. That said they weren’t going to be brought into the spotlight any time soon.

As to the affairs of state that demanded me being away from my wife and new children was the Samoan Civil War. I knew that the Apia Cyclone of 1889 was forming somewhere in the Pacific and it would destroy both the American and German Naval Squadrons based at Apia. I didn’t want to lose those ships over an archipelago that I didn’t want within my empire. So, working with my Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher I had started the ball rolling on ridding myself of these claims for what I wanted.

Knowing it would take time to get a treaty done, this meeting with the American ambassador was more about saving those ships and sending the feeler out to the Americans about a deal over the Samoan Archipelago. We had already sent a feeler out to the British and their response was positive to it but we needed to work with the United States to work out a deal as all three of us had claims to these islands.

Currently the basic idea was simple, but the devil was always in the details. The German claims for both the Samoan and Tonga Groups would be sold to the United States for basically what amounted for a fat stack of cash. Then the Americans would hand over the formally German claim to Tonga to the British for the British handing over its claim to Samoa. The problem for me was how would the new United States President react to this offer.

Given the time to get our ducks in a row here in Germany the 1888 Presidential Election happened in the United States. Benjamin Harrison had won the nomination of the Republican Party. Then he when on to win the electoral collage but lose the popular vote. It made me wonder if Grover Cleveland would try to turn that trick again of winning another term in 1892 like he did in the history I knew. That said I was hoping with Harrison running things we would be able to reach an agreement in the next year or two on this.

This meeting through was about deescalating things in Apia. The main question I had was did I wait too long for this. All that said, it was the first step in my plan to gain the colonial empire I really wanted with the effort to turn those colonies into part of Germany.

First Steps Pt XII

Potsdam
Sanssouci
March 18 1889

I was honestly looking forward to this. I had a number of people working outside of Germany on various task. Some of these people were working as recruiters as I was trying to bring here to Germany so their talents would enrich Germany. Others were working on various business efforts. These were very ranged from mundane to the critically important for my plans. There however was one truth no matter your position in the world, money made the world go around.

I had just returned from the range after testing a slightly modified variant of the Mauser 1889 rifle. The rifle that was the new battle rifle of the Deutsches Heer. I had come to power prior to the formal adoption of the commission rifle, and I honestly hated that damn rifle. In another life I had own a war trophy Gewehr 1888, and it was the rifle I took out to the range the least. True it was the Karabiner variant of it, but it still sucked. Why my grandfather brought that back when he most likely could had a Kar 98k or something better was lost on me.

Knowing of the problems of the commission rifle I pushed to stop the adoption of it and have the Mauser adopted in its place. I had asked Mauser to make two changes to the rifle prior to a series of trails I had forced on the Heer by my opposition to the commission rifle’s adoption. The first was a turned down bolt handle. The second was for an upper hand guard. Other than that, it was still a Mauser 1889.

In the following field trials the Mauser 1889 won hands down. It had been adopted as the new battle rifle of the Heer instead of the commission rifle. Production of that rifle was just starting. That said Mauser had brought the first rifle off the production line to personally give the rifle to me. Given my taste I had to take it out to the range and test it. The time on the range when well, but now it was time to eat lunch.

Even though I did enjoy a good pint or two, I didn’t like the idea of having a pint for lunch. This was more a personal belief than anything else as I believed booze was an evening drink. Given the lack of clean water, or more the lack of wide spread supply of clean water meant many in Germany had beer for their lunch. And given the increasing nature of the world were heavy machinery was more common, I really didn’t want buzzed workers returning to work on that kind of equipment. And with work on the Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill currently on going I didn’t want to add to the list of people who need help under that bill. Granted I wanted to move to full universal health care system, Germany wasn’t ready for that.

As such one of the things I wanted was control of Coca-Cola. It hadn’t worked out the way I wanted it to through. I had one of my people run into Asa Candler in Atlanta shortly after the death of John Pemberton. Candler needed money after he had brought out Pemberton’s son so my man tried to buy out Pemberton however that failed. So instead a deal was reached where my man got the exclusive rights to sell Coca-Cola in Europe and Africa and joint rights in Asia minus India. Candler would have exclusive rights in the Americas and the British Empire outside their African holdings.

Given this was the real Coca-Cola that had some cocaine in it, I didn’t want that to replace the lunch beer. So, Dona looked at the recipe that my man got under the deal that had cost just under 500 American dollars. She removed the cocaine from the formula. It was close to what we both remembered but it wasn’t the Coca-Cola we both knew and loved. It was more bitter than we both remembered. After fiddling with it, she reduced the caffeine in the formula and hit that sweet spot.

Today was the first time I would publicly drink Coca-Cola. I hoped that it would catch on like my running habits had. Given that it cost 10 Pfennig[1] for a pint of Coca-Cola, I hoped that it would start making money even if the profit margin was thin at that price. If this worked like it did in the world I came from the money gained from selling Coca-Cola would fund so damn much it wouldn’t be funny.

[1] I’m not all that sure of the value of the German Gold Mark at this time, so if this is too costly let me know and I will reduced the price.

First Steps Pt XIII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 23 1889

Even through it was tempting to get into the day to day affairs of running the government of Germany, I largely held back. That didn’t mean I didn’t care. No, I painted the wide stokes of where I wanted to go then put people in place to make it happen as I was trying to achieve a lot. I did however reserve the right to get into the day to day affairs. The army found that out when they had tried to push through with the commission rifle and I fought them on it. For the most part through I simply wanted to paint the wide stokes and allow others fill in the finer details. Even the army I generally kept out the day to day running for the most part. The only two areas I really kept up on the day to day affairs of everything was the foreign office and my intelligence arm.

To key up to date with what was going on with my government I held weekly meetings with Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher. He would inform me what the progress was on various bills were, the mood of the Reichstag, and the frame of mind various parties in the Reichstag. I would in turn tell the Karl where I stood on various issues and give in my input on trying to break the impasses that would come up. For the most part through I gave Karl the free reign he needed to get his job done and be effective at it.

Prior to ending up in the body of Wilhelm I didn’t fully understand the wide scope of political parties within Germany at this point in time. Further how complex a political system wasn’t something I fully expected either. Given my “amnesia” was well known by the ruling class of Germany, Karl along with Vicky had been helpful in building up my knowledge. Granted it wasn’t close to complete as someone who had born and lived through it, but it was enough that I could far more effectively weld the power I had to counter the power the Reichstag’s various parties held.

The Deutschkonservative Partei was the biggest headache I was having to deal with when it came to the political parties. With just about every other party that was to the left of the DkP I was able to find some common ground with as I pushed for various legislation to get Germany pointed in the direction, I wanted it to go. The DkP along with the various Antisemitism parties through were proving to be a fly in the ointment and making things harder than they other wise would be.

Currently Karl was going over the three major bills that were being debated over within the Reichstag at the moment. The first was the Old Age and Disability Bill which was the most advance of the three. Unlike the other two bills I hadn’t injected a lot into it. Simply put I knew Germany had a good social safety net program to start with and I really didn’t want to fuck with it too much where as all possible.

The only thing major point I had injected into this bill was the idea of having a state program for those who become partly disable. The idea behind this was for those who no longer could perform the jobs they once held because of this injury or disability and give them a path to returning to the work force in some manner. The government would give them a stipend as they when through a training program to learn a need trade. Said training program would be paid for by the government. Once they finished the training program and found gainful employment the stipend would end. It wasn’t clear if there was enough support to get this part of the current bill through or not at the moment even with the SPD supporting it.

Following covering that, there was the Infrastructure Bill I was pushing for. Knowing infrastructure was the wheel that moved economics and economics was drove everything I wanted to get a lot done with this bill. One of the big-ticket items was a safe drinking water supply system for all of Germany. I really didn’t want to go with lead pipes as they would simply create problems later down the road. PVC piping was too far off into the future. So, I was trying for Stainless Steel piping, as a cheaper answer to copper piping. I had given some ideas to Krupp when I had visited them on how to make Stainless Steel. I may not have the chemist knowledge that Dona held, but didn’t mean I was clueless either. I was hoping they would be able to make it cheaply enough to allow that to be used for the piping of these projects.

Another big-ticket item was increasingly the size of the Kiel Canal. I wanted to futureproof that as much as possible. Granted I would have to perform an expansion program on it later, I wanted to put that off for as long as possible and not having to do it as soon as the damn thing was open like it was in the world I came from. Then hopefully do the expansion in the 1920s or 1930s. That piece of the puzzle through I hadn’t said to anyone yet besides Dona.

Beside that there were the other standard bits one would expect to find in an infrastructure bill. Improving the harbors of the nation, improving the canal systems, improving railways, and stuff like that. There were even pieces on building up electrical grid and roads in this act. It was a truly ambitious program. Then again, I was going big and hoping to find a compromise if there wasn’t a support for such a wide ranging bill. This however was still in the early stages so a lot could change here before the final bill was given royal assent.

First Steps Pt XIV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 23 1889

The final major bill we were talking about was still in an even earlier stage than the infrastructure bill. Given how much we were trying to cover with this one, it might be split up into two or more likely three different bills in the future. Even with that we weren’t expecting this to be given royal assent till next year, possibly even later than that as this bill was going to be fought by just about everyone, but it would be needed. This was a large-scale army reform bill with some limited naval reforms thrown in for good measure.

Currently there was only one thing that almost everyone was in agreement with for the army. This was my plans to do away with the Einjährig-Freiwilliger. It seemed that just about everyone hated them, and were fine with the idea of doing away with them. This was the low hanging fruit for the army. After this everything got a lot more challenging. Given everything I had spoken with Karl about spinning this off together with the reserve, officer, and naval reforms I was pushing into a different bill as that was more likely to get passed in the near future. But at the moment it was still part of the larger military reform package that was being formed up.

On the navy side there wasn’t that much of a fight, simply because it was a question of what navy at the moment. The main highlight of the naval reform part of this was the section calling for battleship main armament that was at least 30.5 cm in bore instead of the 28 cm bore weapons being used on the currently planned Brandenburg Class. That class was already too far along to try and get 30.5 cm guns on as the long lead items were being brought already. There were some minor changes elsewhere, but after the bit on the size of battleship guns, it was small potatoes. It wasn’t time for the Naval Laws yet, however I wanted to get the navy to a better place than it was at the moment.

The main focus through was on the army. It seemed there was a lot of fight all from all the political parties over what I wanted to do. Even some elements of the army wanted to fight these reforms. Julius von Verdy du Vernois however backed most of them, so that got most of the army in line. Along with the new Prussian Minister of War Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff backing the bulk of them, kept things quiet for the most part. Still there were a few within the army that wanted to fight these reforms for various of reasons. Also, for the political parties were fighting them. The SPD were crying out about the cost of these plans, to the DkP fighting them because of tradition. Then you had everything in between from other parties.

Currently the bill had what I viewed as simple reforms, but would cost money to put into place. The one that would cost the most was that of uniforms. I wanted to get away from the 19th century era uniforms that were the current standard for field use. I wasn’t even going for what I wanted, instead going for a modified variant of the feldgrau uniform that German soldiers wore going into World War One. It would be cleaner with no medals being worn on it when in the field. I was also pushing to bring in the waffenfarbe system into place so it would be easier to figure out which soldier was trained to do what.

One area I was really put an effort into help get in this bill was that of the military criminal justice system. I wanted to update the rules of war that was currently in use by the Heer and Kaiserliche Marine. These reforms were being driven by my memories of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice that I had been under when I had been in the US Army in the early 21st century. Granted I put a German flare on it, but any 21st century American would recognize it for what it was. It would also see the Heer and Kaiserliche Marine see the formation of Judge Advocate General’s Corps as their own legal section.

Then there were the reserve reforms. I was pushing for a system whereby reservist officers and NCOs would have to maintain up to date knowledge on their field craft and tactics to maintain their ranks. This was to be done via a testing system. Failing back to back test in back to back years or failing three tests in five years would see the officer being reduced in their commission, being allowed to resigned it or to retire. For the NCOs it would see them reduced in rank or allowed to retire.

It wasn’t just the reserves officers and NCOs that would be seeing testing in their future. I planned for all of my active duty officers and NCOs to be tested as well. Currently testing was only done when they became a Lieutenant, then they wouldn’t be tested again till they were up for being a general officer. This wouldn’t work and allow to many people who had no business being promoted up in the ranks because of politics. I needed to end that before it got a lot of my soldiers killed for the failings of their officers.

My plan was simple, I was stingy with the life of my soldiers and liberal with my munitions. That included my reserve soldiers. I was part of the Goltz school of thought that the next war would be a total war. I didn’t agree with everything Goltz was selling, but I did agree with him on the key point the next war would not be a short war. This was were my thoughts on the reserve reforms was coming from. These tests would be done partly via paper testing and field maneuvers for active duty officers and NCOs. Reserve officers and NCOs would be done via paper testing and table top wargames.

After that through, things got damn challenging. I wanted to expand the army to have at least 10 armies ready to go by 1910, if not more. Had the Russians elected to throw the bulk of their army against Germany instead of attacking Galicia in 1914, Germany would had been up the creek without a paddle. The idea I had come up with after talking with Julius von Verdy du Vernois was to have four armies on the Franco-German frontier with one of those being a reserve formation. Another three being on the Russo-German frontier. Then the final three would be a fast reaction force to deploy where needed. I had made it clear the German Army would not invade Belgium in these meetings.

This meant sooner or later I would have to get more commoners into the officer ranks than there currently was as there were only so many nobles to go around for the army. Currently to my horror commoners were only allowed commissions into non-prestige branches of the army. That would have to change, but any fight on that would have to wait as I was already pushing for a lot. That’s where my plan for the Schutztruppe came in.

To help get people use to commoners in the infantry, artillery, and cavalry branches and prove they could do it, I was going to use the Schutztruppe for it. Currently there were only a few companies worth of troops in the colonies to defend them. It wasn’t enough. We had to send mercenaries to put down a revolt in German East Africa as we didn’t have the strength to do it with the Heer or Schutztruppe. This to me was totally unacceptable. Then again, my tours in Iraq had left a bad taste in my mouth about mercenaries in general.

Here the plan was to form a number of brigades, basically scale down divisions, to garrison and defend the colonies. The total numbers were currently to be determined later at the moment. The bulk of the officer pool through would be drawn from commoners who had the god given abilities to lead men and let them climb the ranks in the Schutztruppe. This would allow people get use to it, then in time allow me to get more commoner officers into the Heer itself and in the prestige branches. However, with these brigades the bulk of the other ranks would be drawn from the natives in various colonies that Germany held.

I however wasn’t done with the Schutztruppe, not by a long shot. I wanted to have the bulk of the NCO arm in Africa to be formed from native troops. This was part of my push to assimilate the colonies and bring them into Germany. I wanted to have native officers but decided that was a bridge too far at this junction. What I was instead going for was something akin to the warrant officer system I knew from my time in the US Army for natives who had the intelligence to reach those ranks and start getting people use to the ideas natives could reach these ranks then in time bring them into commission ranks.

There however would be catches for natives aiming to be NCOs, never mind warrants. They would have to learn how to speak, read, and write in German. They would also have to meet the standards in testing to hold the various NCO ranks that would be the same standards as the Heer itself. Those aiming for warrants, would have an even higher standard. They would have to have at least some education along with being able to pass even more testing. Given there were no warrant officers in the Heer, these tests would be different.

First Steps Pt XV

Gelsenkirchen
Church
May 11 1889

I knew my security detail was nervous as all hell as I made this visit. Instead of sending for a delegation of striking miners, I when to the striking miners. To make things easier for them, I had agreed to meet the miners at what was regarded as neutral ground, the church. My security detail had come in beforehand and secured it. Then we entered church to meet with the group of miners had been selected as the leaders of this part of the strike.

Currently the Ruhr Miner Strike was leaderless and wasn’t back with by the various miner unions. Which mean things were very fluid at the moment in regarding who was leading this strike. Their demands were clear through. They wanted a wage increase, the end of wage deductions, an eight-hour work day, and improved working conditions. The amount of wage increases really varied by striking group, however the rest of their demands were as if they closed ranks and made it clear they wanted those things.

Dona was by myside as we entered this church. We were both well dress given our position within society. The miners themselves were as well dress as they could be. However, it was clear most of their clothes had seen better days. It was just a sign of how poor they were. They were meeting with their Kaiser and that was the best they could afford. You could also tell by their lines on their faces and the hands that they had led a hard life.

After the greetings and introductions, we spoke at length about what they wanted and why they wanted what they wanted. They also spoke of their life and how they wanted a better life. More than one of them told me and Dona that they had thought about travelling to America for such a life. Even through America had its own labor issues, the hope that America offer was enough to get people to migrate to the nation.

It was that hope I knew and was fighting to get out in front of. I had to get the sons and daughters of the Fatherland to stay here instead of taking their talents to America. I’m sure the SPD would be open to some of my ideas. Maybe we could strike a political deal for support of some of the reforms I was pushing that they didn’t want to fund in return for me supporting some labor reform outside the scope of these strikes that were threating to bring the German economy to a standstill that they wanted.

As I listened to their stories, it was impossible not to be moved by them. I then shocked them by asking them to take me to the mines so I could understand their flight better. I know my security detail were less than happy with this request but I had to understand. So, at that I left Dona in the church as the miners were very clear the mines were no place for a lady, I left to tour the mines with a small security detail.

Returning a few hours later, my mind was made up. Things had too change, I wouldn’t allow my subjects work in conditions that bad.

First Steps Pt XVI

Köln
Mining Corp HQ[1]
May 16 1889

After spending the past few days meeting with the striking miners of the Rhine-Ruhr region I was finally visiting with the owners of the mines. Unlike with the striking miners I had asked all of the owners to come here to get this done in one go. I didn’t want to spend days on end visiting the various owners to work out a deal. I wanted to get a deal done as soon as practical and keep this strike from tanking the economy. It was clear they were making a lot money given by how nice this building was and the things in it as I made my way deeper into the headquarters that had been selected for this meeting.

Dona for her part was still visiting with the various striking miners and their family as I was here today. We had decided that it would be best if the owners didn’t get pissy about a woman trying to perform these negotiations with them. After Germany didn’t allow women to vote. Hell, it didn’t even have a one man one vote system. There was so much change we would have ahead of us, but we believed it was worth the efforts we were making.

As I entered the room all of the owners and executives rose and bowed. I then spoke, “Thank you for all coming here today. I hope we can all leave here with an agreement to end these horrible working conditions and this strike.” I was laying that card right on the table. Frankly I wanted them to know where I stood right off the bat so we could get down to the brass tacks of a deal quickly.

There was a moment of silence after I spoke as the various owners and executives looked at each other somewhat stun by my opening statement. Then the owner of one of the larger mines spoke, “Your majesty we were hoping you would send in the military to break up the strike and get the miners to return to work.”

I casted my glare on him as he finished speaking. It was the kind of glare that would freeze water at 20 meters distance. “No. I will not send the military in to break up these strikes.” Knowing what I did from my training in history I decided to make this clear so there would be no bloodshed. “Any attempt to use force by private groups will caused me to be forced to deploy the military to defend the striking workers. Are we clear on this point?”

Most of them were looking at me as if I had just grown a second head. I kept going, “I been in the mines! I wouldn’t send a dog down into those mines yet you spend men, my subjects! Into those mines. How many men can say with a straight face that they have ever stepped foot into these mines? And you want to unless MY military to force those men back into those mines?”

There was a moment of silence as no one wanted to speak. “Well I’m waiting have any of you been in those mines?”

Again, you could hear crickets. “So, I take that as a no. None of you have been in those mines?”

Finally someone spoke, “No your majesty I have not. Its not proper for us to visit the mines.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Well then, I’m formally inviting you to visit these mines with me later today or tomorrow.” You could almost hear everyone of these people sucking in air as they couldn’t turn down an invitation from the Kaiser. That means they would have to visit the mines, and I think they knew what was coming and didn’t want any part of it.

With that I turned to one of my aides I had with me, “Hans, start setting this up if you please. Let me know when you have transportation for all us to visit the nearest mine.”

“Yes sir.” He said then he took off to set it up.

“In the meantime, lets have a talk about how we can end this strike. I see two ways to end this strike, the easy way or the hard way. Which way we end this is entirely on you.” So, I outlined what I saw as the easy way where they would give the miners what they wanted. The pay raise would be set at 7% instead of the 15% number that most miners were calling for. In return for the easy way I would throw my support being a bill to make wildcat strikes such as this one illegal, but they would have to open their mines to unionization. Honestly that bill would be part of a much larger labor bill through. However given my talks with the miners I was sure I could get them to return on such a pay raise if all their other demands were met.

The hard way was me returning to Berlin and working to pass new laws to force them to do these things. Further I would start a push for a minimum wage bill that would see the miners get a 20% wage increase over the next 18 months once said bill gained royal assent. I also left open the possibly of nationalization the mines if they dragged their feet on bring these things into effect.

Further I gave the hint that they might want to look into improving how they mined their coal so they would need less people to do it. It was something of a carrot to them. I knew there had to be a better way than what they were doing. Granted what I knew of mining from being near Bone Valley in Florida didn’t help here, but I knew there had to be a better way. If I put that seed into their minds they might figure something out to free up people for other jobs as Germany further industrized if we followed the path I had in mind for Germany.

[1] After spending a while trying to figure out who or what company owned these mines, I came up with nothing. So, if you guys have any ideas on this I’m all ears.

Backroom Dealing Pt I

Friedrichsruh
Bismarck Estate
May 30 1889

Former Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was setting on his porch looking out to the forest and was pondering. Having been driven from power the way he had, had left a bitter taste in his mouth. His carefully laid plans for dealing with Frederick had been undone by someone he did not take into his plans. That mistake had cost him dearly as he had been led to retire from public life.

Sure, he had been elected to the Reichstag, but he hadn’t taken the seat. He was too embarrassed that it had taken a run off to beat someone of Wilhelm II’s party. That party being the SPD. He didn’t understand how a man born into the purple would become so bloody red, yet he knew from the fact Wilhelm had basically browbeat the miner owners in the Ruhr to agree to all of the terms of the miners who were on strike and didn’t used the military to force the end of the strike told Bismarck all he needed to know. Wilhelm was a socialist.

The terms of that agreement along with the actions of Wilhelm and Dona were sweeping across Germany, and indeed the world. Many royal families were simply confused by their actions. That didn’t bother Bismarck as much as the deal itself to end the strike. The miners in the Ruhr would only have to work 8 hours a day. Working conditions were to be improved. Further they would get higher wages and no longer be able to be fined by the company for damaging its property or any other reason. It was insanity. Yet Wilhelm had forced that deal through.

Bismarck was wondering if that bump on the head had done something to Wilhelm. As prior to it he had been conservative. Not in the same vein as Bismarck himself, as Wilhelm was far too brash, but he was still a conservative all in the same. However, since that bump on the head, Wilhelm had been a totally different person politically. He had also been a far more astute than he had been prior to that crash. This left Bismarck wondering he could do to stop Wilhelm from going down the mad path of Marx and Engels.

He hoped that some answers would come from the visitors he was hosting shortly…

Backroom Dealing Pt II, 2020 Look Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Caesar Dorm of the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm (Redacted)
April 6 2016

The Ausländisches Studentenprogramm was a highly competitive program that was open to foreign nationals of the German Empire. For every slot in the program there would be over 200 application. The majority, a slim majority but a majority non the less, came from the United States of America. The German university system was regarded by everyone as the best in the world, and if you finished the program you would have the pick of universities to attend and all cost would be covered as if you were a German national. That meant you would earn your degree and not come out massively in debt and would have people lining up trying to hire you with jobs that paid well.

However, the program was known for its challenges. The two-year program split up between Anton, Bruno, Caesar, and Dora terms would see on average just over 40% of those who started at Anton term fail to finish Dora term with their same class. Take out the few medical reasons you were still talking about a wash out rate coming close to 40%. Anton and Bruno terms were design to bring foreign students German language skills up to being fluent levels along with teaching some of the basics that were taught at every German Gymnasium. Caesar and Dora were all about bring up these students to the standards that were expected off all university bound German students coming out of their Gymnasium.

Louis was one of the many Americans in the Caesar dorm. In America going to university was becoming increasingly a good way to find yourself in debt for the rest of your life as the cost was in a race for the moon. Much like the Space Race, only it was forcing most Americans either to give up their college dreams for fear of never being able to get ahead in their life or be stuck working low end jobs. Or both. It was why Louis had applied for the program in the first place. He knew that his dream of being a meteorologist wouldn’t happen if he stayed in the US. He had seen the backbreaking debts that his older siblings when through to get through college and they were now working at the local big box stores or warehouses for just above minimum wage as in the US there was a gut of people getting college degrees to go around. This was because there still many who thought they could beat the odds and land a job that put you into the increasingly small middle class.

When Louis’s high school learned of it, everyone up to the principal had tried to talk him into withdrawing his application. He had refused. He didn’t care what the state of international relations between Washington and Berlin was. It was the only way he would get through college and not be faced with crippling debt for the rest of his life. It most likely caused him his chance at being the high school valedictorian or salutatorian but he didn’t care. He knew most of the fellow Americans all had the same experiences he did. They however were pushing for something better, the German Dream.

Following passing Burno semester, Louis had met with the student guidance counselor to set up his Caesar and Dora terms. With the fact he still had to pass the Abi to be accepted into the University of Hohenheim he had to select areas he wanted to specialize in some sciences. For one of the social sciences he selected history. As such he was currently working on a term paper on the Reign of Wilhelm II between him taking the throne to the (redacted).

Outside of Germany, Wilhelm the Second was a highly controversial figure. In Germany and a lesser degree the rest of Europe held a far more complex with its relationship with Wilhelm the Second. Here through they weren’t teaching Wilhelm the Second was Lucifer himself like they had in his high school. Currently Louis was reading up on the Aftermath of the Ruhr Miner Strikes. Two events stood out to Louis for more research for the paper that was due next week. One was the Friedrichsruh Conference in late May 1889. The other was a meeting happened at around the same time and was between Wilhelm II and Paul Singer.

It was this meeting between Wilhelm II and Paul Singer that had Louis wondering what was said. Little was known about this meeting as neither men never spoke about what was said in this meeting. Hell, the meeting wasn’t known publicly about till the late 1960s, which was long after both men having died. However, soon after that meeting there was a break between Singer and August Bebel that divided the SPD into Mehrheitspartei and Minderheitspartei factions within the SPD. Singer was the leader of the Mehrheitspartei wing of the party with Bebel being the leader of the Minderheitspartei wing. True there were some more radical elements within the SPD outside the Minderheitspartei wing, but they were the main players within the SPD.

Either way that meeting between Singer and Wilhelm along with the Friedrichsruh Conference would prove to be driving events that would help shape Germany into what it became.

Backroom Dealing Pt III

Berlin
Stadtschloss
June 15 1889

I watched as Wilhelm left the room again to finalize the treaty over a few of the Southwest Pacific Island claims that Germany had. The colonial lobby hadn’t been happy when they learned that Wilhelm wanted to sell those island claims. What finally got them to shut up was when Wilhelm agree to put 55% of the money gained from the sale of those claims into develop the other colonies. It was a complex three way deal between us, the Americans, and British over those claims. It seemed that the Americans were more than willing to pay for those claims, even if they would have to turn Tonga over to the British to get the British claims to Samoa.

Part of me wonder how Wilhelm and I had skipped over the whole dating phase of relationship and moved into the loving couple phase. Some times I wonder if it was the force that brought the both of us here had a hand in that or if it was a natural attraction. Either way as a woman I couldn’t complain as he supported me in most of my efforts. Even in areas that we disagree once we entered the bedroom, we left our disagreements behind us, and loved each other like there was no tomorrow. It was the kind of relationship you always hoped for but always doubted you would get.

Even with my duties as a mother, empress consort of the German Empire, and other duties, I was still taking time in the day for myself. Unlike Wilhelm I didn’t run or play sports. My figure was such it just didn’t make sense and at times it would be painful if I wasn’t careful. That not withstanding I could do yoga which honestly was something I always enjoyed doing. Granted I missed having a sports bra and yoga pants as I had to come up with my own clothing to do yoga, it was still something I enjoyed.

I had thought about writing Swami Vivekananda to come to Berlin to personally teach me yoga, but I had decided against it. This was after I talked to Wilhelm about it. He had honestly surprised me by not only knowing who I was talking about, but having some history on the man. He suggested that I wait till Swami travelled the world in a few years before seeking him out which I had to agree with. Over the next hour I when through my yoga routine as I allowed my mind to come to center again. It also did help that it was helping me lose the final kilo of baby weight I had put on from carrying the twins. However, once my hour was done I when to the bathroom to clean up and get ready for my day.

Once I was in my dress and ready, I moved on to the task ahead of me. Part of the money of the sale of those claims in the Southwest Pacific was going to funding the creation of a research driven society that was designed to improved German scientific knowledge. Both Wilhelm and I wanted this to be a pan-German organization which was why we were bypassing the Prussian Academy of Science. The academy was fighting back trying to get the money that was earmark for the creation of this new society.

We were looking at naming this new society as the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society, instead of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. Part of the reason was we wanted this to be more than pure science research. Other fields such as mathematics and engineering fields were critically important. With Gauss’ history we would also be showing that its not just Prussia running this Germany, and it was a truly united Germany.

For the rest of the morning I worked on how this new society would be set up. With my background in modern science I was making sure that good research would be funded and crack pot ideas would be thrown out the window and weren’t funded. However, once lunch time came, I put that work aside and when to have lunch with my husband and kids. Even through only the twins were truly ours Wilhelm and I had made every effort to raise the kids we had been left with from the legacy Wilhelm and Dona. I had an easier job of this than Wilhelm as unlike him I had the memories of legacy Dona where he had nothing of the memoires of legacy Wilhelm. We had even talked about having more but at the moment we weren’t sure if we wanted more or not.

With lunch behind me, I headed for the small lab that I had set up. I knew that I had raised more than a few eyebrows with my new found love of chemistry, but I had always loved the science. Even as a child, I liked chemistry. I had been one of the pre-teens that were happier to get a small chemistry kit than a CD player. Here it was a harder time to explain my “new” found love of chemistry but it still wasn’t stopping me from pushing science.

Normally when in Berlin I would spend the afternoon working in my lab unless I was needed for something. That wasn’t often, but given my role in the government I was needed more for evening affairs than afternoon ones. As such that gave me a fair bit of time to push chemistry forward. I had already been awarded a number of patents under my pseudonym of Countess Sophia and these patents were starting to bring in some good money through various means.

Currently I was on the hunt for one of the noble gases that hadn’t been found yet. This hunt had started after talking with the miners during the Ruhr Miner Strike last month. Those talks triggered a memory and led me to look for this noble gas. I was on the hunt for Argon. It was a noble gas that was the best noble gas to use for when you needed an inert gas and nitrogen just wouldn’t cut the mustard. Plus once I had it figured out it would be fairly cheap to make. I was closing in on a way to isolate Argon, but I wasn’t there yet. Once I had it isolated, I could then work out a way to make it so I could patent the whole thing.

About an hour prior to dinner I stopped my work for the day. I needed that time to make sure my lab was safe for the night along with getting ready for the formal affairs that dinner normally was. Unless it was a family dinner, we normally would be dining with someone of importance. To date there was only once where Wilhelm had been cloak and dagger about meeting someone, and I knew why. Meeting with Paul Singer after the shit caused because of the Ruhr Miner Strike, would had caused an even larger stir. Wilhelm wasn’t about to poke the hornet’s nest twice. He however, did had a plan that I thought had a good chance of working.

Tonight, through we were dinning with Ludwig Windthorst of the Centre Party. Even through Windthorst was old he was a master parliamentarian. He was dining with us to talk about the new union bill that had been brought about as part of the agreement to end the Ruhr Miner Strikes. If we could get Windthorst to support our positions we were fairly sure that the labor reform laws we were pushing for would pass. If not, it would be a harder road to go. Possibly an impossible road to go.

Backroom Dealing Pt III

Berlin
Stadtschloss
July 23 1889

I was looked at the painting that one of my agents had just brought. Even though I was a patron of music didn’t mean I didn’t have a taste for paintings. Indeed, during Dona’s pregnancy last year, we had posed for a new painting by John Singer Sargent. Honestly Sargent did a damn good job with that painting, and it now hung in this very castle. The painting I was looking at through most likely going somewhere beside this castle. I was thinking of placing it in my summer retreat at Sanssouci.

The painting in question was brought for 35 guilders along with two others. Pair of me felt somewhat bad about what amounted to the highway robbery that had just taken place, but damn it I wanted this painting and the man who painted it needed the money. The painting in question was Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Hell, I had a poster of this painting in my classroom back in the 21st century as part of my effort to show some culture along with the history I thought. It was honestly lost on most of the students who came through by classroom. However, I always had liked this painting and now I owned it.

As for the other two paintings weren’t as important, but still it was something to stop and think about. A few years ago, and two centuries into the future, the idea of me owning even a single van Gogh would had been laughable. Yet now I owned three of them. The other pair of paintings I had bought in this sell when my man ran into van Gogh at asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence earlier this month were the Irises and View of Arles, Flowering Orchards. Honestly, I didn’t care for Irises. My real mom though would had loved it through. Flowering Orchards was a nice painting through. Most likely I would keep that one here, and Irises would go into storage for the time being.

I had given some thought about trying to save Vincent van Gogh. I even talked to Dona about the possibly, but we had decided against it. His mental state was most likely too far gone to be saved even if one of us was a trained clinical psychologist. Maybe if we had 21st century drugs, but we didn’t. So, we had decided to leave van Gogh to his fate as sad it was. It was shitty choice but sometimes we would have to make shitty choices and this was one of them.

Oberstleutnant Karl von Bülow my newest aide-de-camp entered the office I was currently in. “Sir, your intelligence report is ready for you.” I was building up a stable of aide-de-camps ranging from junior officers and now to field grade officers. I currently was still learning the differences between the military I was now in charged in and the US Army where I had been a middle-level Noncom. Knowing these differences would allow me to better craft reforms to improve the performance of the Heer for when the time came to unsheathe the sword.

I turned to my butler, “Take these to the drawing room Fritz. I will decide where they will go later.”

“Yes sir.” My head butler said.

At that I left to follow von Bülow for my intelligence briefing. I was slowly making the march to something akin to the Presidential Daily Briefing. I knew intelligence was critical for allowing me to make my plans to come through. Here in the Victorian era through things moved much slower than I was use to. I was pushing people to have faster reaction times, but this took time oddly enough. I wanted to get people use to make major decisions within day or two when the first war came. When the second one came it would need to be hours, if not faster. But it was time to get there.

Because of that my intelligence briefings took place every couple of days right now. Abteilung III b was a small section at the moment, that had formed earlier this year. This was something that I would need to grow and move away from just pure military intelligence into something that covered foreign affairs and technical intelligence as well. Most likely it would be done in plain slight in one of the military reform bills as the massive one I had started with had been broken up into three different bills now.

Once in the room where the briefing was taking place, I listened to the intelligence briefing. The French it seemed had finished reequipping their army with the Lebel. Honestly it they wanted to dump their money into a rifle that was already obsolete I was more than happy to allow them to it. The new Gewehr 1888 was a far better rifle. Granted so far it had only found its way into the hands of a few units as I wasn’t ready to dump massive sums on Marks into rifles when I wasn’t expecting a war anytime soon. So those rifles were finding their way into artillery, engineer, and other specialized formations as the carbine variant. I was pushing the army to adopt the carbine version for the infantry but they were pushing back. Given the French were fully equipped with the Lebel now and were starting to move on to issuing it to the reserves that would put pressure to speed up the replacement of the Gewehr 71/84.

Then again, the Lebel was better than most other rifles out there. Yet stacked up to the Mauser rifle the Lebel was obsolete. Germany currently was only the second major power to have a smokeless powder rifle in service. There however was some confusion by the other major powers by the Heer adopting the Maxim. Here I was moving carefully. I wanted to keep how deadly the machine gun was a closely guarded secret as I had a few ideas for when the first war came on what I wanted to do. Even more since I had John Browning on my payroll.

Outside small arms there wasn’t much going on at the moment. I knew that would change as time when on. Even more so as my ideas on how to reform the Heer started to take hold which would cause others to react to them.

Backroom Dealing Pt IV

Hertfordshire
Hatfield House
August 30 1889

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury was currently waiting for his guest to reach him. Officially his guest was here in the land of her birth visiting her mother. The death of her husband had been hard on her last year. Shortly before that had happened, it seemed that she had repaired her relationship with her oldest son which prior to his carriage accident had been strained, to put it mildly.

Now that her son was Kaiser of the German Empire, her position was that of adviser to him as it was widely known that he had lost his memory because of that accident. It seemed that there was close to no chance of him regaining his former memories now as it has been over a year since that accident that almost kill him and his wife. The two of them had turned many of heads with their actions during the Ruhr Miner Strike. They acted more like politicians than royally. Socialist politicians at that.

Unofficially, she was an envoy from the German court to talk about a mix of colonial affairs and matters of the continent. One thing was clear from her letters that Wilhelm wished to have good relations with the British. Given the French were always a problem, and they were feeling out the Russians for an alliance was the things of nightmares of Whitehall. It was clear that Wilhelm was charting a different path forward than Bismarck who he had basically forced out of power. Gascoyne would admit that play was a masterpiece play the way it had been done. That alone told him that Wilhelm was a cagy player, the question he was asking could Wilhelm be trusted to further the goals of the British Empire.

“Your highness.” Gascoyne said as he bowed as Empress Dowager Victoria entered the room, he was in. This meeting was going be used as a starting point for setting up a state visit by Wilhelm to the United Kingdom. So far it seemed like Wilhelm was willing to work with the British.

The Treaty of Potsdam was proof of that. The American senate had just ratified that treaty. Under that treaty the US agreed to pay Germany 40 million dollars for its claims to both the Samoan and Tonga Archipelagos. Then the Americans handed over the claim to the Tonga Archipelago they had just brought to the British, for the British handing over their claim to the Samoan Archipelago. With the American senate having just ratified the treaty the official handover would take place in 90 days.

“How is your health Prime Minister?” Victoria asked.

“It’s improving.” Gascoyne answered as he had suffered from another bout of breathing difficulties earlier in the year.

At that both of them retired to the drawing room in Gascoyne’s house. Once they had both taken their seats and server had left them with a hot kettle of water for their tea and cakes to eat, they began to speak about why Victoria was back in the nation of her birth. “So since when was Wilhelm a socialist?” Gascoyne asked.

“He isn’t, or that’s what he claims to be.” Victoria answered as she poured a cup of Earl Grey tea into her cup.

“If he isn’t a socialist then he has a strange way of showing if the Ruhr Miner Strike is anything to go by.” Gascoyne replied as he picked up one of the tea cakes.

“I pressed him on this matter. He believes with the turn of the century that things have to change for the nobility to have any form of power or they will suffer the fate of Louis XVI during revolution in France.” Victoria said before sipping on her tea.

“How does playing the socialist keep him from losing his head, if he is really worried about becoming Louis XVI? Why didn’t he send the military in to break the strike like his grandfather would had?”

Victoria took a long pause, “He said the strangest thing to me when I asked him that very question. As I recall him saying ‘There’s a reason you separate the military; and the police. One fights the enemies of the state; the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.’ It was the strangest thing I heard but it makes a great deal of sense.” Victoria said. She was unaware that Wilhelm had taken said quote from Admiral Bill Adama Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica.

There was a moment of silence after Victoria said that before Gascoyne spoke. “So, does he plans to rewrite the German Constitution if he believes that?”

“He does, but he also says the time isn’t right for such a rewrite of the constitution. I believe he is waiting for Bismarck to die before he reforms the constitution.” Even with Bismarck not being chancellor of Germany anymore he was still a powerful force within Germany. Wilhelm even believed Bismarck was behind the stonewalling the DkP was doing in the Reichstag. It was to the point Wilhelm had tried to meet with Bismarck, but Bismarck fain ill health and rebuff him.

“Do you believe your son is a socialist?”

“No. In the talks I had with him since the Ruhr Miner Strike, and these talks were at length, he explained why he didn’t believe in socialist as Marx and Engels were right in their theories. He believes socialist as put forward by Marx and Engels will lead to either mob rule or as he put it a more likely possibly a party elite and them treating the workers the same as they are now.”

“So then why is he acting like a socialist?”

“He believes that if you give them a way to reform the system from within slowly, that there will come a point that socialist will lose its appeal to the masses.”

Backroom Dealing Pt V

Gascoyne sat looking out of the window thinking about what the Empress Dowager had said about her sons domestic political thoughts. He would have to speak with William about some of these ideas that Kaiser had. As First Lord of the Treasury he could shed some light on if these ideas of Wilhelm could benefit the British Empire by adopting them. Even Gascoyne would admit it the ideas had some merit to them, even if the personally didn’t agree with them. So, he would inform William of them to allow him work out the details and mold it to fit the Tories if they could work.

However, he wanted to get on about the part he really cared about, German foreign aims. Unlike almost all other prime ministers in the history of British Empire, Gascoyne did not take on the task of being First Lord of the Treasury. Instead he was Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He was largely regarded by many as a master diplomatic, and indeed he had a keen eye on diplomatic matters. Some in the papers said he was still leading the Splendid Isolation that the British have known since the end of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Splendid Isolation was simply a myth that had been created to keep the masses happy in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. If not for the Russians trying to take the Bosporus and Dardanelles from the decaying husk that was the Ottoman Empire, there would had been a clash with Napoleonic the Third around the same time the Americans fought their civil war. Looking back on things it was most likely for the best that the Russians united Paris and London to keep Moscow out of the Mediterranean as the Russians were the only true threat to the power of the British. They would had put the French down again in any such war, but it would had allowed the Russians to get a foothold in the Mediterranean which was unacceptable.

Indeed, the Mediterranean Agreements that had been brokered by Germany had caused the British to put its thumb on the scale yet again in politics on the continent. The Russian Bear was the greatest threat to Pax Britannica since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It was why the Great Game was being played in Central Asia right now. Germany under Bismarck had been close to Russia, but Gascoyne noted that they were drifting apart, and he saw a chance to put the Germans into the orbit of the British Empire. Well so long as they were useful and the moment they weren’t they would be cut lose.

The whole of British Foreign Policy wasn’t built off friendship, no it was built off long term interest. That’s why it had came somewhat as a surprise that the Treaty of Potsdam happened to Gascoyne. So he wanted to gauge what the end game of the Kaiser was. He knew that the on going talks over Heligoland and Zanzibar were still going well, so he wanted to know what these the Kaiser wanted.

“Can you enlighten me on what your son is doing in the colonies?”

“Wilhelm wants to build up the colonies he has into model colonies for the most part. He however did ask me to ask how the British would feel about the possibly of him buying the Congo Free State from the King Leopold.”

That caused Gascoyne to raise an eye brow. It was known that the Congo Free State was losing money for Leopold. There had even been some horror stories that had come out of the Congo Free State, though they hadn’t been proven. Yet, if true Leopold had when too far.

“Why does he want to buy an unprofitable colony?” There had to be more to this than meets the eye.

“I asked him the very same question. He told me that he wanted a German Kongo to be the flagship colony of the German Empire, in the same mold as the Raj is for our nation, and Indochina is becoming for the French. With the few remaining colonies being supporting colonies for the Kongo.”

Gascoyne pondered for a moment. If he did back the Germans taking over the Congo Free State he would give them control of the middle part of Africa, which was borderline unacceptable. “What is he willing to do to gain our support in such a matter?” It was best to know what could possible be gained before rejecting it.

“He said he would turn a blind eye to any moves by Cecil Rhodes against the Boers in Southern Africa along with turn away their efforts to buy modern rifles. He further will put part of German East Africa on the table if that will help Cecil find a way to build his railroad from the Cape to Cairo. He also told me that Mauser has already been approached by the Boers to buy his new rifle in large numbers. Given what happened at Majuba Hill, the last thing we need is for the Boers to get their hands on modern rifles. Currently he has order Mauser not to accept the order yet, as he wanted to gain your support for his plans in the Congo first.”

‘Crafty.’ Gascoyne thought. With the French and Germans both fielding smokeless power rifles it had left the British Army in a bind. The Lee-Metford which was the new rifle of the British Army was a black powder repeater. His military had told them they needed to upgrade to this new smokeless powder if they wanted to maintain parity with either the German or French Armies. The thought of the Boers getting such rifles given how they performed in 1880 and 1881 gave Gascoyne chills down his spine.

“Inform him this is something we will have to talk more about when he performs his state visit later, but I’m open to this idea. What else is looking do to in colonial matters?”

“He would like to buy or trade for Walvis Bay. He told me he is willing to give up a few of the Solomon Islands, maybe even part of New Guinea in such a deal along with some money to make it happen. Or at the very least get Walvis Bay where it can be used by German traders in German Southwest Africa without having to pay through the nose as he put it.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure about selling him Walvis Bay, but again its something we can talk about later.” From what he was hearing and seen so far it seemed that Wilhelm didn’t care much for the Southwest Pacific. He was right and wrong about this. There were some areas that Wilhelm did care about, how he didn’t like some of the German holdings as they were never going to be economic buyable and he knew it. He wanted to focus on what could be economic buyable there.

There was another moment of silence, “Where does Wilhelm stand on Russia?” Colonial matters were important, but what really matter was to make sure no European Nation ever got into the position that Napoleon Bonaparte almost achieved. Russia was the biggest threat and most likely nation to do this right now. Even more so since the French were trying to secure an alliance with the Russians.

Backroom Dealing Pt VI

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 11 1889

“Wilhelm are you sure you want to go through with this?” Dona asked. She didn’t agree with all of Wilhelm’s ideas but she had come to accept he had reasons for them. Further they weren’t driven by lust for power, but a general want to make Germany a nation that could stand as a superpower from the mid-20th century onward. But what really got to accept most of Wilhelm’s ideas was he was willing to listen and change plans. This though, she wasn’t sure if this was the right moment for this.

“I don’t see a better time than now. If we do nothing to remove Schönerer from the leadership of pan-German movement in Austria, then the bulk of Cisleithania will never join us outside of a war. He is an idiot, and a racist at that. Further his Aryan bullshit and Antisemitism will bite us long term. We need to nip this in the bud sooner rather than later.”

Wilhelm and his plans had decided getting Germany to the position being a superpower meant that at some point the bulk of Cisleithania had to become part of the German Empire. He would like it to be done peacefully if at all possible as that would make everything smoother in integration of Cisleithania into the German Empire, but he would perform it by force if needed. However, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Wilhelm through wanted to make Greater Germany something that the United States could had become. A place where the German cultural identity would be one of a few uniting forces within Greater Germany. It wouldn’t matter if you were ethnic German, Polish, Czech, or Slav, you could be an outstanding member of Greater Germany with full rights that were enjoyed by every other citizen of Great Germany and the German Empire at large. Further it wouldn’t matter if you were Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or even Muslim, you would be welcomed to freely worship as you wish, well within reason that was. Hell, even the Eastern House of Worships would be welcomed.

This was one of the reasons Dona had come to support his plans. Wilhelm had dropped his idea of making Freedom of Religion related to being from the Abrahamic Religions. Instead he was going for something more akin to what West Germany, latter Germany had become with some finer touches. He wanted to end people who used religion to promote hate, and he did have a few ideas on the subject but they were still raw at the moment and needed more time to gestate. He also wanted to put a hard wall between religion and politics after seeing what happened in the nation of his birth. Given what he was planning to create it would be needed as the Sun Would Never Set on Greater Germany if everything worked out.

Wilhelm could see the worry on Dona’s face. He reached over and kissed on the forehead, “Darling, I know this is not something we want to do, but to make an omelette eggs have to be broken. I just hope we aren’t to late and removing this fool Schönerer. I further hope we can get Friedjung active in the pan-German movement in Austria and possibly leading it.”

“Still taking a life isn’t an easy choice.”

“As someone who had killed before, you had no idea how right you are. However, you can’t dwell on it. You also have to accept that what you did would allow to live on to fight another day. And once the British figure out what we are up to you can bet your last Pfennig that they will do everything in their power up to and including buying Austro-Hungarian politicians to get an alliance with them to neuter us. Schönerer needs to die.”

Dona looked nervous, but then nodded. Wilhelm took that as her approval. With that he would set it up with one of his operators that Schönerer would be assassinated. It would be a simple affair, no one would be gun down. No, it would be put down to a simple case of botulism. Something that would cause no one to bat an eye at in the here and now. Once Schönerer they hoped they could get Friedjung to take over the reigns of power in the Pan-German movement in Austria to allow an Anschluss to happen.

Building Up Pt I, Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Athletics Section of Campus (Redacted)
April 7 2016

Louis had just exited the locker room as he was making his way to his first classroom class of the day. Unlike in American Universities the German university system expected every student to take part in athletics every term. The Ausländisches Studentenprogramm was no different. So, either every morning or evening the students of the program took part in the athletic course that was part of the curriculum. Even through there were inter-collegiate sports in the German university system, it wasn’t the same as it had been in the United States. The inter-collegiate sports were true amateur sports instead being the unpaid minor league system it had become in the states.

For Louis he didn’t try out for the Caesar Team here. He might be able to get on the bench for the basketball team, but he wanted to focus on his school work. As he was walking to get across campus one of his American class mates who shared many of the same classes as he did join him on the walk. Jim had been in the Dora class that was ahead of Louis, but he had played on the three on three basketball team only to tear his ACL in one of the early games in the season last term. After recovery he picked up another go at Caesar but this time, he was not playing any sports. Indeed, he was still wasn’t pushing his legs as hard as he used to.

“Louis what’s your opinion Empress Dowager Victoria. I’m still having a challenging time placing her in this history we are learning here.”

At that Louis looked over to Jim, “I take it your family didn’t own any pre-Freedom Party history books?” The Freedom Party having been the party that had been ruling the United States since the early 1980s and it wasn’t going anywhere. They also had their own version of history that was, well different.

Jim let out a sigh, “Yeah, we didn’t. Then again, my family was the coal mining region of West Virginia, we were dirt poor. However, I knew there had to be a better way forward than the shit the Freedom Party was pushing. So, I put into for this program and haven’t looked back.”

Louis knew history was an area Jim had issues with. He was a brilliant man with math and science, good with his German courses, but history was challenging him. Jim even admitted he was thankful he tore his ACL as it allowed him time to study history as it was written in Germany.

“My opinion is she was a useful idiot for Wilhelm more than anything else. Through I think its still open to debate if Wilhelm had plan or was just a plain opportunist is open to debate when it came to European Affairs.” In Germany many didn’t have a good opinion of Empress Dowager Victoria. There were only a few books written on her, and none in a positive light in Germany itself. However, in the early part of the story between Wilhelm and the British, she was deeply mixed up in. Basically, between the time of Wilhelm’s coronation and (redacted) Victoria was so deeply mixed in that she was a critical figure in it all.

No one could deny the fact Wilhelm had a plan for the colonies through. That was shown by the Kolonialgesetz Act of 1889 on how the money from the Treaty of Potsdam would be spent. Granted a sizable chunk was directed at infrastructure and mineral surveys, a not so minor part of the money when to creating a school system that was free to the natives. Granted it didn’t create a university system as that wouldn’t come for a few more decades after the landmark legislation that was the Kolonialgesetz Act of 1889.

After a brief pause Louis asked, “Why did you decide to do your paper on Victoria again?”

“I think I was trying to understand my own family to some degree. I wanted to figure out someone could turn on their own kin like she did.” It was clear through from everything that had come out and hadn’t been destroyed that Victoria didn’t know that she was being played by Wilhelm.

As they were nearing the social science building, Louis decided to change the topic, “Are you going to watch the coronation of Kaiserin Charlotte this weekend?” Kaiserin Charlotte prior to becoming Kaiserin after the death of her father Frederick the Fifth late last year had been a fighter pilot of the Kaiserliche Marine for six years after finishing her flight training program at Kiel. Her husband she had met during her service in the KM, and been a fellow officer in that service. Only he had been a surface warfare officer, and his was billet had been on one of the command cruisers of the German Fleet.

“Yeah, I think I will. I’m more or less sure I’m staying in Germany once I’m done with my schooling and have my degree in astronomy.” It was becoming increasingly common for American students in the program to apply to stay in Germany once they finished their time at university. Simply put they had a chance not only to use their degree, but didn’t have the Freedom Party barring down on them.

Building Up Pt II

Near Danzig
Deutsches Heer Proving Grounds
November 23 1889

I wished that Hiram had been able to finish my order earlier so I wouldn’t have to be out here in this cold. But the German Army had been the first army on the continent to adopt a machine gun. We had the 24 Maschinengewehr 89s that we had ordered from Hiram Maxim. A factory production line to make MG 89s was being set up at the moment. I frankly wanted something better than the bloody Maxim gun when the time came for needing it. Yet at the moment it was good enough for what I had to do.

One thing I wanted to get though the skulls of my generals you can’t charge machine guns with the chest of infantrymen. This would be the first step in my process to get the Heer to adopt fire and movement tactics. Granted to do this I was going to need soldiers armed with something better than bolt action rifles. I was hoping that Mauser or Browning could do something with the pieces of information I had handed them in the past couple of years.

My goal was to have my riflemen armed with some kind of M1 Garand rifle clone with my NCOs and Officers armed with bullet hoses when the time came for the first war. Hopefully the machine gun sections would have the Browning M1919s. I wanted to fight a mobile war as the last thing I wanted was to get stuck in the trenches. That was only good for filling up graves and I didn’t want to do that. No, I wanted wars of movement even if they wouldn’t be the lighting wars that the Battle of France 1940 was. In my opinion getting something like that to happen would be the akin to rolling hard sixes six times in a row. I was never that lucky.

Newly promoted Generaloberst Julius von Verdy du Vernois came up to me and saluted me as I was in my uniform as well. Given what I was doing I had decided need to wear the uniform. “Your majesty.” He said.

“Generaloberst its good to see this morning.”

“Its good to see you as well. How is the Kasierin?” It had just been announced that she was pregnant again last week. This was another oops as we hadn’t planned on this pregnant like our last one.

“She is well General. Hopefully the morning sickness will pass quickly this time.” I answered. Even though with Dona it wasn’t in the morning time she was sick, it was more the evening with her.

After a moment of silence Verdy spoke again, “Sir, this idea of interlocking machine gun fire is most ingratiating. However, I’m not sure I’m understanding the point of this exercise.”

“This exercise is to make sure my generals understand one key thing. You don’t win the war by dying for your nation. No, you win the war by making the other bastard die for his. These machine guns are a game changing weapons and I want my generals to understand both of these points.” Stealing that quote from the movie Patton. But George C Scott’s Patton really did have a point in that speech.

Granted I didn’t think Patton was the best general the US Army had in that war from the history. He was a good general but he was light on the ability of logistics. As a corp commander he was great but he wasn’t someone I would want running an army. But I had my eye on one of the best generals of the US Army from that war. Oddly enough said general was currently a subject of mine. That general or future general was Walther Krueger, and I hoped I could get his abilities for my services not the Americans.

Before anything else was said, all of my army inspectorates were walking to join us. Like I said I wanted to get it though my general’s heads that a new way of war was coming. I had been out here yesterday setting this up. I did have to knock off some rust on my training but I had set up so there would be no gaps in the field of fire of these MG89s. Then I spend the last part of my day working with the musketeers and the NCOs I had picked to get them trained in this.

After some small talk the section which was being led by Feldwebel who had seen combat in the three wars that united Germany came out. He reminded me a lot of my old senior NCOs from when I been in the US Army which was honestly a good thing. Those fucks seemed to have eye balls in the back of their heads. Well the good ones did anyways.

“Gentlemen if you will watch. These 24 machine guns are covering just under a kilometer of front against the French. Now if you would watch what happened when they would try to charge the position.”

At a distance about 1000 meters I had a number of bags filled with dirt to stand in for the French soldiers. By my count it would be at least an understrength regiment worth of bags out there. “Feldwebel fire as you will!”

With that command he started to give orders as the musketeers started to fire their guns. In under a second 24 machine guns firing 7 mm Mauser rounds were firing down range. The bags quickly started to leak dirt from the holes being put in them. But with the T&E mechanism each of the tripods had meant that things were quickly spraying bullets at those bags that weren’t directly in the front of the machine guns.

It when on for over 2 minutes till the final belt when through the MG89s we had. I doubt there was a single French “solider” left standing with that showing. “Gentlemen as you see the French would been stopped cold by such firepower. With the reforms I’m putting forward every division would have 96 such weapons. Do you think any French unit would stand a chance with supporting artillery?”

Building Up Pt III

Bisingen
Schloss Hohenzollern
December 24 1889

With it being that time of the year, it was I decided to leave Berlin with my family for a short vacation. Unlike Dona I was not a native to this land, even if I had to pretend, I was. Even with that with every passing day I was coming to think of myself more German than American even if in my legacy body there had been no German ethnic blood in me. So, to help learn a bit about the nation I now ruled I decided to retire with my family to the castle we owned on the edge of the Swabian Jura for Christmas.

One thing I had to learn about was this was not the 21st century, you honestly needed sleepwear as central heating and air was not a thing yet. In the summer the heat wasn’t the repressing heat I was use to in Florida, but damn if the winters weren’t cold. Hell, snow was not something I was used to, even if this was my second winter here. As I was standing out the window, I was enjoying a cup of hot coffee as I was an early riser, I was enjoying the beauty of the landscape. I was also pondering the future as I enjoyed the beauty of this area.

This had been a good year, but there was still a lot that could go wrong with what I was trying to achieve here in Germany. I would need more time to get into a position I felt really good about through. Yet my thoughts changed when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. Then I felt hands going under my arms and around my chest. She reached up and kissed the back of my neck, “Morning honey.” She whispered into my ears.

“Darling. I didn’t expect you up this early.” She was about ten weeks along at this point. Given how far she was along and a bump was already forming we were thinking I had knocked her up with twins again.

“I couldn’t sleep after you left our bed.” She told me. Part of me wonder how we ended up in the loving couple phase of life after having really skipped over the whole dating phase. But I wasn’t about to question my luck as I was madly in love with this woman.

Putting my cup of coffee on the table that was in front of me. I then turn around and leaned in for a kiss with my wife. Just as our lips were opening my sons Wilhelm, Eitel, and Alalbert all came running into the room me and my wife were in. Our youngest three still needed a nanny to get around.

“Momma, Daddy what are you doing?” Alalbert said as he was the first of his brothers to enter the room.

I had to laugh as I pulled back from the kiss I had just started with my wife. Dona was also laughing. “Alalbert ask me that question in about a decade.” I tried to say with a straight face.

Dona also spoke up but she was having an even harder time keeping a straight face, “Yes Alalbert that is an adult question.”

I could see he was confused, as was Eitel. Wilhelm Junior might had known but I wasn’t sure. Staying behind my wife who had her face buried in my chest, “What do you boys want?” I asked.

“We want to go play in the snow, but we couldn’t find Governess Maria.” One thing Dona and I was pushing was for our children to be well versed in various fields of education. Even today we had planned a light lesson with our governess to keep them on their toes.

“Its early boys she might not be up yet.” Indeed, it was early being just about seven in the morning. After thinking about it for a moment, “Tell you what go get dress me and your mother will take you out for a little bet of fun in the snow.”

That was an answer they all seem to like and they took off running to their rooms after a cheer from all of them. Once they had left the room, “I will take a raincheck darling.” Dona just started laughing as she pulled away from me so we could go get dress to play in the snow with out children.

1889 End of Year Update

Domestic

Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889

Largely OTL but with some differences. The major difference was in the ITL bill, there is a section dealing with those who become partly disabled. Under this section for those people they would receive government help to the tune of 18 marks and 50 pfenning per month till they finished their training course so they could return to the work force. Once that training is over that money is gone as they should be able to support themselves now.

Infrastructure Bill of 1889

With stainless steel not being ready the Kaiser gave up trying to get a drinking water part in this bill. Instead this dealt with enlarging the Kiel Canal and other things. That’s the biggest ticket item anyways. Harbor and canal improvements, building an electrical grid, and road building is also covered by this bill. This bill isn’t as aggressive as the Kaiser would had liked, but he took it to get things rolling with the belief he can come back with further infrastructure bills later.

Military Reform Act of 1889

On the naval front, this mostly dealt with the size of main gun caliber size on future battleships with it having to be 30.5 cm weapons.

The Einjährig-Freiwilliger have been done away with starting in the 1891 conscription classes.

It sets up a testing program for officers and NCOs for every time they are to be promoted. Testing depends on said rank.

The German Army and Navy both created their own version of the Judge Advocate General Corp.

The Schutztruppe is formed with an approved force of three battalions, and two companies. Commoners are allowed to be officers no matter the branch within the Schutztruppe. NCOs can rise from the ranks of the enlisted natives. 1st Battalion is assigned to German Cameroon, 2nd Battalion is assigned to German South-West Africa, and 3rd Battalion is assigned to German East Africa. Anton Company is assigned to German Togoland. Bruno Company is assigned to the German Southwest Pacific.

Under this law the Schutztruppe’s are to be a generation behind what the Imperial German Army is equipped with it in terms of its equipment. Further native NCOs would have to become literate in German.

Labor Act of 1889

This law outlawed wildcat strikes.

Companies must allow free and open elections to see if its employees which to form a union. The Union needs a majority of 60% plus one vote to form a union.

In events of war or other emergency as declared by the Kaiser, striking workers must return to work. Arbitration of differences between said company and labor with be settled by a board of three during these times. One board member will be appointed by labor, one will be appointed by the company, with the head of the board being the Kaiser or whomever the Kaiser wishes to appoint in his stead.

Further if the two sides remain at an impasse for more than 30 days, the Kaiser may call for the board of three to be formed to find an end to the dispute that caused the strike.

Carl Friedrich Gauss Society

This is founded in Jena. This society is designed to promote engineering, science, and mathematics. Unlike German universities, the CFG Society is solely a research institute. Its main patrons are Kaiser Wilhelm the Second and his wife.

Colonial Act of 1889

Using money gained from the Potsdam Treaty, a series of infrastructure projects were started within the colonies. These included building up the ports, building railways, and schools. Further money is put into mineral surveys of the colonies.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties and Agreements

Hofburg Agreement

After talks between Kaiser Wilhelm and Kaiser Franz Joseph it was agreed that Archduchess Elisabeth would take up residence at Sanssouci in Berlin under the care of Empress Dowager Victoria to allow her to retreat away from the royal court in Vienna in the aftermath of the Mayerling Incident. Under this agreement she would be educated with Wilhelm’s children.

Potsdam Treaty

This treaty is a three-way affair between the United States of America, The British Empire, and the German Empire. Under this treaty the United States buys the German claims to the Samoan and Tongan Groups in the Southwest Pacific for 40 million of dollars. In turn the Americans turned over their claim to the Tongan Group for the British handing over its claim to the Samoan Group to the Americans.

Georg Ritter von Schönerer Assassination

The total number of people who know Schönerer was assassinated can be counted on one hand. It was publicly stated he had died from botulism.

Foreign Regions

USA

Improving

Britain

Improving

France

Stable, if poor

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Decreasing

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

The Gewehr 1889 has been adopted by the German Army. Basically a slightly improved variant of the Belgian 1889 Mauser. This is in 7 mm Mauser.

The Maschinengewehr 1889 has also been adopted by the German Army. This is a Maxim machine gun in 7 mm Mauser.

A single Siegfried class Coastal Defense Ship is laid down.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Dona is once again pregnant; at the end of the year she is eleven weeks along with this one.

Building Up Pt IV

SMY Hohenzollern
Near the Thames Estuary
January 23 1890

As we were making our way to London, one thought stuck out to me. I could not wait for decent passenger service aircraft to get here. To hell with this travelling at sea shit. I had no issues travelling by train, honestly, I enjoyed that. But this travelling by boat, hell no. To those that wanted to go to sea, more power to them. This was not what I wanted to do if it could be avoid it. And that meant if I wanted to leave Europe right now, I had to travel by yacht or naval ship. Given the meeting I was holding with the British, this was best done via yacht.

I was on my way to met with key people within the British government in a move to gain support for me buying the Congo Free State and possibly more colonial changes. I wanted Walvis Bay to be my main port for German Southwest Africa. Currently I didn’t have a good port there and to do what I wanted it I needed one. But the Congo Free State was the main prize and I knew it. That place was so rich in resources it would fuel the German Economy for decades to come.

Yet as I sat in my cabin trying to keep my food down, I thought about possible moves that I would need to make once the British figured out, I was the bigger threat to them than either of the Russians or French were. I knew Austria-Hungary would have been dismantled. But the Hungarians would likely ally with the British knowing those fools. They always thought way to damn highly of themselves and piss everyone off within their borders with their Magyarization efforts. So even trying to keep them in my orbit was impossible and I knew it.

Same with the Italians, once they get their two pieces of silver from any dismantled Austro-Hungarian Empire along whatever they get from France they will likely whore themselves for further gains. Then again, their appetite for territorial growth always outmatched their ability to back it up. If all things when right that meant my southern front was going to be a hot mess in any future war. Along with having to deal with the Royal Navy in the North Sea.

Honestly, looking at even before ending up here, I always thought Wilhelm royally screwed up how he when about building up a navy. He when for far too much far too fast. Right now, the Kaiserliche Marine was coastal defense force with very limited power projection abilities. He was trying to build up a navy that would at least be a threat to Royal Navy in under a generation. It was simple insanity to think you could do that. Even more so tech was growing at such a fast clip.

I knew I needed to build up my naval industry if I was to have any hope of achieving enough of a force to contest the North Sea and get raiders into the North Atlantic to cut the British off from the rest of the world. That took time. I was planning to slowly build up my navy to give my industrial base time to grow. This would have the plus of me not throwing massive amounts of money down the drain for ships that would be outdated within a decade.

The wildcards in any second war were my main foes in the first; the French and Russians. Germany simply couldn’t live through a three-front war. While I was fairly sure that the French wouldn’t be crazy enough to try again for a third time in sixty years the British would still try to buy them off and get them as allies. So, I was working out in my head how to far I could go to defang them so they would never be a problem or at least allow me to court them as allies. I had a few ideas, but simply each one would be depended on the situation I found myself in.

Russia through? I was hoping I wouldn’t find myself having to drive my armies to the gates of Moscow. I knew it would take two wars to defang them. Even if I got the Japanese on myside with them going the northern route for expansion it would take a lot to get them to bow out. Simply put Germany had the ability but a poor position and I had to do what I could with such a poor position. Then again this was a game of double fisted double sided poker I was playing and people I always said they never wanted to play poker against me. Give me a hundred marks in chips and a pair of pocket threes to start off with, I would clear the table within a few hours.

That’s why it was so important to keep the British near me right now till they learned my true goals. It was like that old saying. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If I can beat France and Russia along with carving out a large colonial empire before the British figure out that I’m the bigger threat, I might have a chance of making all of this work. That’s why this serious of meetings were so damn important.

Building up Pt V

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 27 1890

I was currently waiting for my guess to be shown in. I had been wanting to do this for a while now, but it made sense do to it. After how well the Berlin Marathon had when last year, and another one already being set up, I was hoping to get this off the ground and have the first games in 1892. The fact I get to stick it to the French was just a plus at this point even if I had to come with an agreement with them on Morocco to make this whole mess in the Congo to work.

There was a growing voice of just how awful Leopold II’s attempts to rule in the Congo Free State was in various newspapers. If my agents were helping find these things out, oh well things happen was what I thought. The fact that Leopold II had promised to end slavery in the Congo but it had been found out that he was actively selling slaves to Tippu Tip and other slavers as a way to increase profits for the failing colony wasn’t going over well in the British Isles.

I had left London with a tentative agreement over Germany buy the Congo Free State from Leopold II. A number of details needed to still be worked out through. However, the plan called for bring the French and Cecil Rhodes into this to keep everyone happy. The French wanted the Congo for themselves, and I knew this. After talks with the British I offered the idea allowing the French to have Morocco in their sphere of influence. I didn’t want and neither did the British want the French to have a protectorate over Morocco, but we both could live with Morocco being in their sphere of influence. I was fairly sure the French would accept this as they wanted to bring Morocco into their orbit for a long time now.

The wild card through was Cecil Rhodes. The southern border of the Congo Free State was still influx at the moment. I wanted at the very least Katanga. If I could I wanted to get part of what would become western Zambia. I however would have to offer up something for the British to allow either, and I was willing to. The question was how much would it cost me. I knew what Cecil Rhodes wanted was his bloody railway from the Cape to Cairo. If I had the Congo, that meant he would have to go though me to get it and that was unacceptable.

My area I had been studying as an economist before ending up here was development economics. I knew that central Africa was mother fucker to build up infra through for a host of reasons, terrain being one of them. Going off memory told me I might had to part with some if not all of German East Africa to get this done, but if that was the price to do it I would. It wouldn’t leave be with a port on the Indian Ocean which would suck but if it had to be done so be it.

Africa however was forced out of my mind when my personal secretary brought in my guess. After the greetings, I spoke first, “Herr Vikelas as you know I have a great love for athletics. As I stated in my letter to you I would like your help in bring the ancient Olympic games to the modern times we live in. I believe it would only be fitting if the first games of the modern Olympics be held in Athens.”

Building Up Pt VI

Danzig
Army Recruiting Depot
March 11 1890

Jürgen Müller was one of a few men who were wearing civilian growths standing in front of this recruiting depot. All of them were well dress clearly from the German middle class. Jürgen himself had already performed his two years of service in the German Army and was 23 years of age right now. During his time in the 3rd Grenadier Regiment he had been promoted to the rank of Gefreiter in the final few months of his time in service before his conscription service had ended.

Indeed, a number of the NCOs within the 3rd Grenadier had talked to Müller about becoming a Kapitulant and started training to becoming an NCO within the German Army. He however declined them deciding to go into the reserves and return to clerk at department store. It was an honest living and paid better than being a solider. He knew he was a trade labor, or at least was, but it didn’t take much to find a better paying job than that of being a solider. Beside his reserve service Müller believed that he the army was in his past.

Last year he had been debating his future. He and some of his friends had been talking about migrating to the United States to chase a better life. His family wanted him to stay in East Prussia and possibly set up into management in time at the department store he worked at along with getting married and starting a family. For himself he had been wanting something more but wasn’t sure what that something more was. Then before going into work he read about the formation of the Schutztruppe.

That made him take note as he could been an officer in one of the prestige branches instead of being forced into fortress artillery units. Had he decided to make the Deutsches Heer his career he could had. He knew he could had been an officer but he didn’t want to be an officer in a branch that was looked down on and harmed his chances to get married to a minor degree. That’s what made him take note of the Schutztruppe, he could be assigned to on of the prestige branches which would move him up in the social standing within Germany. Granted it wouldn’t be much of a move as he would be assigned to the colonies but it was still a step up in the social latter. So, he had applied.

Earlier this year he had been with about a few dozen others within Danzig to show up to test for one of the many opening officer billets in the newly formed Schutztruppe. He didn’t know how he did after that testing but he felt like he did well. Then a few weeks later he heard back that he had been selected for start of his officer training for one of the infantry companies that was being formed within the Schutztruppe. He had been told to report to the recruit depot on this date and in front of this building.

Now Müller along with about nine other men were standing and waiting. They however were about to enter the path of becoming officers for commoners that prior had been off limits even if they were being shipped to the colonies once they finished their training.

Building Up Pt VII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 19 1890

Richard Aßmann was currently waiting for his meeting with Kaiser Wilhelm the Second. He honestly had been surprised when he received this invitation from the Kaiser. The Kaiser was becoming known as a patron of the sciences as well as music, yet it had still taken Aßmann that Kaiser had decided to start a personal correspondence with him. Today was the first time the two men would meet and that was enough to make any man nervous.

As Wilhelm was checking on something, he wanted to refresh his memory he was thinking that this was another critical meeting. Then again, he was making a major push to have Germany hit the ground running when the 20th century rolled around. Understanding the weather was a critical piece of that puzzle. Granted not as critical say for the United States, but still critical none the less. Having been through enough hurricanes I understood that as well as anyone. Still it would be needed here in Europe if we didn’t have to deal with the hurricanes.

Forming a German Weather Bureau was one of the two big ticket items I was trying to form this year under the ministry of Interior. I was hoping that meeting with Aßmann would be the first step in forming such a weather bureau. I however needed more than this bureau to simply tell me what the weather would be tomorrow. Even with my foreknowledge such as it was, I was playing this as if Germany would always be the underdog and needed every edge it could get. Being able to properly forecast the weather would be an edge, a small one but still an edge. So, I was going to need this bureau to perform research along with trying to give me a good weather forecast.

Dona didn’t have a good grasp on meteorology, and mine was only a bit better. Then again, I been through the hurricane and the hurricane scares which has forced me to learn a bit. It was why I was taking this meeting instead of her. I think Germany was still trying to get a grasp of the fact we were a true power couple instead of what they had been use to. Then again, I was still learning a lot about my new country.

It was Dona that had pointed out that I needed to get the ball rolling on the other item I was working on for the interior. This was a full on geological and mineral of Germany itself. The colonies as part of my deal with the colonial lobby were getting one, if not a full one like I was pushing for here in Germany. Dona pointed out to me that there was an oil field in Pomerania, and was a large oil field, well at least for Europe. If it was possible to tap into those oil fields in about a decade or two it would help secure Germany from some of the worse of the effects of a blockade.

This was a step through to getting a better understanding of the weather as I greeted Aßmann having put my notes away.

Let's Make a Deal Pt I

Heligoland, British Administration
Near a Seaside Resort
May 23 1890

I was enjoying myself on my morning run as I really hadn’t had a chance to run on a beach since ending up in this body. Then again even before this I really didn’t have a chance to run on a beach a lot. Simply put I didn’t live close enough to make it practical so I didn’t. But it was an enjoyable time when I got the chance to do it. And I was taking the chance right now.

At the moment Dona and I were making this visit to this island to meet with a number of senior British officials. The Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty had already been signed and was now pending ratification by both the British and German governments. This however was more a mere formality as the treaty wouldn’t had been signed without the support of both governments. So in a few months Heligoland would be proper German Clay once more.

Yet in the here and now it was still controlled by the British. Currently the cover of these meetings between myself along with my Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher was to smooth over the handover of Heligoland. Unofficially through these meetings were picking up where I had left off in London earlier this year. Namely the plans I had to force Leopold to sell the Congo Free State to me and my nation in return for helping the British achieve their railway from the Cape to Cairo.

There were parts dealing with border of the Congo Free State as it was now and protectorates under the control of the British South African Company under the control of Cecil Rhodes. I was trying to get the Kayamba Hills under the control of the Congo Free State as that would give me a lot more resources to build up with. This was a time that working on being an economist for the developing world was paying off. I had a fairly good idea where resources were.

Here there was already pay dirt, as part of the mineral survey on going in the colonies. I play a game of not being directly in picking the areas that got selected first but pushing the people who were making these class to select the areas I wanted. Bougainville had been one of the areas I had been pushing for and it had been selected to be the first part of the suvery. They were reporting a large possible copper mine there, but further work would be needed. If it was what I was thinking, the Panguna Mine has just been found and that would be a massive economic boon. I was hoping that would be the first of a number of mining boons for the empire.

The tricky part was how much of German East Africa I would have to hand over to get this to be a done deal. I wanted to keep Dar Es Salaam so I could maintain an outpost on the Indian Ocean. Further I wanted to maintain a present on Lake Victoria. Both for different reasons. The question through was becoming how to do it without tipping the British off at what I was trying to do.

Beside the colonial matters I was making a play to gain the support of key British officials so I would have their support and hopefully support of others when the time came for the first massive war in about 20 to 30 years. I was playing off their fears of Russia which at the moment was who they viewed as the biggest threat to achieving their long standing fear of a hegemony of Europe. I was perfectly fine with the French allying with the Russians because I could play off the historical issues between London and Paris.

Granted I would have to work in the shadows to sideline the few major Francophiles within the British government. However, if I played my cards right even Edward wouldn’t be able to do shit to stop me before the first war came and when. I just then had the fun task of keeping a Copenhagen from happening. That however was all in the future at the moment and I had to work on the here and now.

As I turned about to get another lap on the beach this morning my mind turn back to the formation of the Schutztruppe. That was one of my key ideas that was already going into motion. I was pushing for a truly professional officer and NCO corp with it. Even with the reforms in the Heer I gotten through earlier I couldn’t go as far as I could with the Schutztruppe. It was part of my effort to bring German colonial holdings into Germany proper and it needed to work.

My officers that were undergoing their training at the moment were better paid than officers in the Heer. It wasn’t so only the rich and nobles could be officers here. Those groups were looking down on the Schutztruppe which had cleared the way for the officer billets to be taken over by middle class commoners who weren’t as well off as the more limited number of commoners who could afford to be officers.

The catch was, once they were finished with their training, they would be in Africa or Asia depending on the posting for at least 6 years once they received their commissions. All of the officer cadets were unmarried. So, I was hoping they would take native brides. Thereby with some help create a middle class in the colonies. Creating a large middle class in the colonies was one of my keys to holding the colonies long term.

Further to help sweeten the pot if they perform 20 years of honorable service in the Schutztruppe, there would be homesteads waiting for them in the colonies. The size of those homesteads would depend on rank they retire at with the number of awards they had at that point in time. This would also help transplant native Germans in the colonies. I’m basically trying what I though the British should had done with India to keep it. This was only one step in my plan for the colonies.

If all this work it would create a Reich that hopefully would stand the test of time. Failure was not an opinion I would accept.

Let's Make a Deal Pt II

Potsdam
Sanssouci
July 4 1890

I watched as the Japanese Ambassador bowed before me. One of my long standing foreign policies goals was to get a special relationship between my nation and Japan. Today was another step closer to that goal. It would be a while before I got anywhere close to that goal and understood that. Further there would be a lot of places where it could go wrong given Japanese domestic political issues, but I had to make the effort.

Simply put I knew Germany would never be a great power in the Pacific barring fluke and highly unlikely rolls of the dice. Not a believer in rolling the hard six to achieve my goals meant I needed to do it in other ways. Japan was my answer to most of it. Granted at the moment they were only a regional power; they had the potential to become a Great Power. Not on the same level as Germany did, but still someone you would have to take into account in the Pacific.

Japan could knock China down a few pegs. I was playing the long game and I knew China would have to be knee cap, at least more than once to keep it from reaching its full potential. If it did it would be able to overtake Germany in economic terms just from pure size alone once it got its house in order and started putting serious effort into building up its economy. Japan through it would be a large great power, based on my train of thought would never be able to overtake Germany in pure and raw economic ability.

Further Japan would be a nation that would force the US to keep its eye to Asia and not focus it totally on Europe. I knew I would be able to keep things close in terms of economics with the US, but I never would win a direct economic war with America. I had to balance that, and Japan was the best I could do. Mexico had some potential but it was too unstable to achieve what I needed. So I had to bring Japan into my orbit to achieve what I wanted.

Once I acknowledge the ambassador he rose from his bow before me. “Ambassador would you join me for a walk?” Frankly I enjoyed walking when talking with people instead of setting at desk. I would do it if I had to but I would walk. My aids through didn’t care for it as it made taking notes harder, but I didn’t have anything to pressing in this meeting. This was more me laying out a possible economic treaty between our nations.

“I would be honored your majesty.” He said.

“Then this park Ambassador.” Taking the lead with him. I wanted to start slowly pulling Japan into economic orbit of Germany. Thanks to the deal I made Charles Parsons I had sole rights to sell steam turbines in Japan. Now I wanted to get some other rights in Japan to further pull Japan into my orbit. This however would be a give and take. Outside what was about to happen in China before the end of the decade the age of unequal treaties was coming to an end. And I wanted Japan within my camp when they fully stepped onto the world stage as a great power.

Slow Burn Pt I

Kiel
German Naval HQ
August 13 1890

To put it bluntly the German Navy was a joke at the moment, and I knew it. All told I had under thousand officers and 20,000 sailors right now. That amounted to an overstrength infantry division worth of troops. In naval warfare that gave you a small force as you had all the shore-based parts that couldn’t be brought to bare in a fight on the Seven Seas. At the moment it suited me to have a small force but not that small, it was why I was here today.

With the British laying down the Royal Sovereign class last year had changed the paradigm in terms of capital ships. The Brandenburg were to be the German equal to the Royal Sovereigns, well at least in theory. I however no plans in trying to match the Royal Sovereign in numbers through. There were a host of reasons to as why, but the simplest answer was simply because I couldn’t even if I had wanted to. Germany industry wasn’t up to the task of getting into a pissing match with the British over naval arms and I knew it as did everyone else.

The Brandenburgs as design would be decent ships given my understanding of the briefing so far and the model, they had brought out to show me what a finished ship would look like. However, in 15 years, maybe even less they wouldn’t be worth more than a second-rate capital ship. In 20 years, it might be a hulk or school ship. Even then the current follow-ons that were being brought up in this briefing were in the same both. Knowing Dreadnought was about 15 years away and resetting the field once again, why build a massive fleet when all that money would be lost when they would be obsoleted overnight? It was to my benefit to wait and build up the navy into a larger but still smaller force then wait for the Dreadnought at worst. Best case was waiting for the Super-Dreadnoughts.

Given I was waiting it was better to put the money into building up the naval industry so when the time comes it could deliver when called on. Even now the industry of Germany was going to be hard pressed to build the four Brandenburgs in a decent time frame. So that’s what I was more focused on than building up a large fleet right now. The British were fine with this as they weren’t willing to commit to an ally in Europe. So long as my fleet was designed to counter the Russian and French navies, they were fine with me building up my fleet. This worked for me for a host of reasons.

Then the sell pitches came from the design team to get funding for their current follow-ons to the Brandenburgs. I rose from my seat and when out to look out the window. “Keep working on these designs, but understand I don’t plan to order more than a pair of them when the time comes. That time is not now.”

Slow Burn Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 21 1890

I sat to the left of Wilhelm as we waited. I had recovered again from the birth of another set of twins. This time it was a pair of girls instead of the one of each I had just over a year and half ago. I didn’t know what cause the two of us to have twins both times as in my talks with Wilhelm even in his other life neither of our families had a history of multi-births like this. It was something of a puzzle at the moment why when I got pregnant, we ended up with multiples both times. The current theory Wilhelm and I had was that somehow when we ended up here along with the modifications to these bodies somehow caused it.

Our babies were not far from here as I was still breast feed them as they were only a few months old at this point. We had named them Gabriele and Stefanie. Then again it was hard keeping them straight when they were only in diapers as they were identical twins. The way we were keeping them apart was by the way we were dressing them otherwise we wouldn’t be able to tell who was who. When they got older we both knew they were going to be trouble as there really wasn’t a way to tell them apart at the moment.

Yet the two of us were waiting for two politicians. They were both members of the Centre Party. Earlier this year there had been a Federal election within Germany. Given how the backward system of voting work the Centre Party came out as the largest party within the Reichstag even through the SPD had received the most votes. Granted the difference was maybe 80,000 votes between the SPD and Centre Party, but the Centre Party had the most seats whereas the SPD was the fifth largest party within the Reichstag.

I was increasingly becoming known as Wilhelm’s right hand when it came to politics. Granted Wilhelm was more to the right than I was, we were both fairly far to the left for this time and age. Then again Wilhelm was far more an imperialist than I was, as I ran a more to pacifist leanings. We still had disagreements to the future but we largely left those disagreements at the door of our bedrooms or meetings like this.

Then in walked Ludwig Windthorst and Franz von Ballestrem. Ludwig was the leader of the Centre Party with Ballestrem being a key member within the party. If my memory was correct it would be Ballestrem who would replace Windthorst when he died as party leader, or maybe it was someone else. But given it was Ballestrem was here that reinforced my believe that Ballestrem would be someone we would need on our side.

After the normal greetings were exchanged everyone was again seated. Wilhelm spoke first, “Mister Windthorst, I want to talk to you about the budget for the next year.”

Windthorst was opposing it because of an increase for military spending. That increase however was a small one, being not even five percent large than the year before. However, the bulk of the money was going into research not into buying new equipment. As Wilhelm said once artillery was the king of battle, and he wanted to have the best artillery in Europe. But Wilhelm put this increase into the budget knowing Windthorst would object to it.

“I object to the increase sending for theorical ideas that do not give meaningful increases to our army.” Windthorst said.

“I have something that I believe will bring your support for the increase in research funding of Germany’s army.” Wilhelm said. At that point Wilhelm started to outline his plan that he believed would get Windthorst to support the increase in funding. I put my two cents where needed as it when back and fore between the four of us.

The issue Wilhelm was getting Windthorst to bite on was that of schooling. Wilhelm objected to Windthorst idea that there should be a religious foundation for schools, on the grounds that Germany had Catholics, Protestants of all types, and Jewish faiths. What Wilhelm was putting for was that there would be a class on religion in Grundschule that would teach the basics of all three types faith. This would be done in a neutral tone to allow everyone in Germany to better understand their fellow German faiths. This would not be done at schools’ fund purely by various churches through. Although those schools would have to not promote hate of other faiths in their teachings.

Once they had finished the Grundschule, and moved on to Mittelschule there would be classes specializing in the different faiths and would be electives. The same would be true of classes at Gymnasium. This was part of Wilhelm’s on going efforts to fully unite Germany as a single nation along with killing Antisemitism before it became too powerful of a force to be dealt with.

So far, this idea hadn’t been floated before today. There was a lot of back and fore between both sides in this. Finally, an agreement was reached after a few hours. I was thankful for this for a host of reasons.

Slow Burn Pt III

Vienna
Magazine Office
November 3 1890

Heinrich Friedjung was reviewing a story that his new magazine was about to publish. Following the death of Schönerer there had had been a change in the Pan-German movement within the Duel Monarchy. A change that allowed Friedjung to return to it as Schönerer had been a major Anti-Semite and that had forced Friedjung out as he was Jewish. With funding and gaining support of part of wing of the Pan-German movement in Cisleithania Friedjung created this bi-weekly magazine office.

This piece was highlighting the differences between the German Empire under the leadership of Wilhelm the Second and the Austro-Hungarian Empire under Franz Joseph. One of the big points he was driving home in this piece was how Cisleithania was suffering from the Compromise of 1867. In this piece he was saying how the Magyars were actively harming the state by trade agreements between Cisleithania and the Lands of Crown of Saint Stephen. It was further harmed by the lack of funding for the military, both army and navy.

Even through he didn’t want war, the only thing the Italians understood was force. The Italians still wanted parts of Cisleithania to add to their own nation. Which made it odd that there was an alliance between the two nations, but that was largely because the nation which Friedjung wanted to see Cisleithania join. That said the Italians only wanted to pick fights they couldn’t win but would try because they could smell a hint of weakness. So, spending on both the army and navy had to increase to give no hint of weakness, yet the Magyars refused. Then again it wasn’t their part of the Empire that was under threat from the Italian menace.

He also was covering how in Germany under Wilhelm there was the start of a rapprochement of the various faiths. Something that wasn’t happening here in Austria-Hungary. If anything, Anti-Semite were growing in power here. Granted they were still a force within Germany as well, but Wilhelm was actively working to repair the damage between the various faiths. Franz Joseph wasn’t even trying to repair relations of the various faiths within his empire.

Before he could finish reading the piece he was performing edits on, the doors of his office were busted down. “POLICE!” Came the call from those entering. Friedjung looked up from his desk and saw the uniformed officers entering his office. It looked like his magazine stuck a nerve with someone in power by how many police officers were entering his office. He sigh as he knew he was about to be arrested for speaking his mind.

Slow Burn Pt IV

Dresden
Apartment Complex
December 12 1890

Hans Schumacher was coming from his shift at the factory. He wasn’t a native of the city, having moved here after finishing his conscription service in the Army just over 18 months ago. He did hail from Saxony in general but had moved here from the small village he lived in prior to performing his conscription service. He simply didn’t want to be a farmer like his father before him. Soon after reaching Dresden he ended up getting hired at a company making cameras. He then started to rent this apartment that he had just now entered.

As he entered his small apartment, he saw his young wife waiting for him. Emilie was in some aspects was like him. She was a native to Saxony itself but not Dresden. She had taken a job as a secretary for one of the doctors in the city. Like himself Emilie had travelled to Dresden for a better life. There was also the unspoken bit that was in a young woman moved to the city. She was looking for a better prospective husband than she would had found in the village she lived in.

For Hans he was lucky enough that Emilie had agree to the courtship at first as he had only been out of the army for a few months when the two of them had met. Then they had been married last month in a simple wedding. They couldn’t afford to bring their families to Dresden to watch the wedding, and neither family could afford the train travel to Dresden. So they had some of their friends from the city as witnesses to their bonding.

After a deep kiss, “Dinner is almost ready. Go get cleaned up dear.”

“Yes honey.”

It was young love in its pure form. A few minutes later Hans was back into the small dinning/living room that this simple apartment gave him. It was just about that time that Emilie returned with the dinner she had cooked up. It was a simple affair, but it was good food. After a few moments of eating in peace Emilie spoke, “Dear I think we should stay in Germany.”

Hans finished what is in his mouth, “Why is that honey?” This had been a debate like many young couples and young people were having in general at the moment across Germany. The New World was land of promise where you could make a far better life than you could here in Germany.

“If this new school law is given royal assent then our first born something we never had before.”

Hans looked up, “You are?”

“Yes.” He put down his fork and ran over and picked up Emilie in a hug.

“This is great news!” He said a little too loudly.

“Yes it’s a wonderful day.”

Looking into her eye through, “You sure you want to stay here?”

“Yes. This is something we would never be able to give our children if we when to America.”

Unknown to the young couple this was their Kaiser was pushing for. He knew he would never be the United States on a pure economic argument on why you should stay in Germany. So he was trying to offer them something that they couldn’t get in the US. Like this young couple many knew it and were thankful for it.

1890 End of the Year Update

Domestic

The Reich Wetterdienst and Reich Geologischer Dienst are formed within the Department of Interior. The Wetterdienst is tasked with forecasting the weather along with finding better ways to forecast the weather. The Geologischer Dienst is tasked with performing major and total geological of both Germany proper and the colonies. The Geologischer Dienstis partly building on earlier measures taken for the colonies.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties And Other Events

The Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty was signed. This is per OTL.

German-Japanese of Friendship and Cooperation of 1890 is signed. Under this treaty Japan sees much of the unequal Prussian-Japanese Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation undone and sees Japan treated as a proper nation. It also creates an exchange program for Japanese students to study in Germany. Further still it had economic benefits for Germany and Japan, however its not a free trade treaty. In a secret part of the treaty Japan recognized that the Shandong Peninsula will be within the German Sphere of Influence. In turn Germany would offer diplomatic support for Japan in the event of war between herself and China. The latter part of this treaty is known only at the highest levels of both the German and Japanese governments.

The International Olympic Committee is formed in Berlin with Demetrius Vikelas as president of the IOC. The IOC is being promoted by the Kaiser as a way to bring the nations of the world together through sport and athletics. The first games are slated to be held in Athens Greece in 1892 with the 1896 games being held in Berlin.

Foreign Regions

USA

Improving

Britain

Improving

France

Slightly Improving, still poor overall through

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Decreasing

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Four ships of the Brandenburg Class Battleships are ordered.

Two ships of the Kaiserin Augusta Class Protected Cruiser are ordered.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Both Wilhelm and Dona are healthy and well.

Slow Burn Pt V

Berlin
Königsplatz
January 23 1891

I was looking at the map before me pondering my next move. This war game had been brought about by the collapse of the Reinsurance Treaty and intelligence pointing to Paris moving to collect an alliance with St. Petersburg. We were currently using what I have termed Blitz rules which limited the amount of time the generals had to think about before they had to issue orders to the units. Said units were simple map markers to signal what units where what.

This was a three-room affair. I was playing as the Germans and Austro-Hungarians which had its own room, with a chief of staff and a few other officers. I had a “signal” officer who wasn’t allow to speak to any of us. He was the one I would hand the written orders to. He would go to the control room where the God Map was. Said map had the location of both sides clearly marked where my map only showed my units and Russian and French units that I had located through various recon means. Then the third room was where the “French” and “Russian” commanders sat. They likewise couldn’t see my units unless they had been located via various recon means.

After studying the map and talking to my newest aide-de-camp Oberstleutnant Alexander von Kluck I wrote down my orders for this turn in the game and handed them to the signal officer to take them to the control room. It would take a few minutes for the control room to work out the events of this latest turn. Currently I was trying to form a pocket of the Russian First and Third Armies that were in the Congress of Poland and had been launching assaults into Posen. I further was trying to relieve the pressure on my Austro-Hungarian allies in Galicia. They were the primary focus of the Russians in the east. In the west through I was staying on the defensive.

We were currently playing with what we expected our forces to be in 1895 along where we expected French and Russian forces be by then. We stated the route cause of this was some mess in Balkans so we had taken that into account. Currently in the Control Room we had someone from the Foreign Office who was attaching for the neutral powers. They were currently the British, Ottomans, Japanese, and a few others that would be key in any war as I was pushing the fact any future war would last at least 18 months if not longer. No one wanted to hear my ideas of a war lasting for years, but 18 months was something they could accept.

One thing I was pushing in my effort to reform the army was reaction time. In World War One as I knew it reaction time was measured in months, I needed to get that down to days. It was why I created Blitz rules to the standard wargame run by the Großer Generalstab. Further I was trying to get the military to understand they HAD to take in account Foreign Relations when making choices on the battlefield.

So far we were about two months into this war. I had an army in central Germany I was holding in reserve for where it would be needed. Given the changing doctrine of the German Army I was pushing for the French had suffered badly in their attack into Elsass-Lothringen. As of two turns ago the French had disengaged and I assumed were regrouping after the beating they had taken at the hands of dug in troops using interlocking fields of machine guns and artillery.

I had elected going with a Russia first path instead of a French first attack path. To put it bluntly attacking out of Elsass-Lothringen was sticking my you know what into a meat grinder. I frankly had no plans to do that. Instead I was letting the French do that, and focusing on trying to badly damage Russia. So far in this game some events had been surprised to everyone including me. Others not so much. The plans to send an Italian Army north had turned into a cluster fuck and that army was still not in a position where I could use it. The Austro-Hungarian performance was less than to be hoped for being another, but not to the level I knew the Austro-Hungarians could go.

That said things were still going well. I already through back an attempted invasion of East Prussia already. The Russian attack into Posen was grinding down and I was close to pocketing those two armies. The French were bleeding themselves white attacking Elsass-Lothringen. During this time between my orders being given and finding out what happened I was making small talk with von Kluck.

I might had been a mid-grade NCO in the 21st century American Army, which most likely would had made me a junior officer here and now, I still had to learn to operate at the larger levels. It was why I was building up my stable of aide-de-camps up the way I was. I currently had junior and field grade officers on it. I was planning in a year or two to start adding flag officers to the mix. This way I could learn the tactics and doctrine of the time and build on that. It was starting to pay off, but it would be a decade before it fully paid off in the way I was thinking.

Then our signal officer came back with the outcome of the turn which was a week in time. He handed the out comes to the junior officers in charged with moving the markers on the map than handed me the report. I grin as I read it. “Excellent.” I said. “Move the 7th Army to Aachen.” This move would leave me without a reserve for a few more turns as it would be allow before another army could be formed. But it simply had to be done.

It seemed that the French had enough of trying to break through my defensives in Elsass-Lothringen and had decided to attack into Belgium to get into the Rhineland. The British weren’t in the war yet, but they had handed a note to Paris demanding they withdraw from Belgium at once. Further my pocket in the Congress of Poland had been formed trapping two Russian Armies. Still through that bloody Italian Army was creating a logistical mess and wouldn’t be able to be used this turn again. My forces were too thin for my liking but I still liked the position I sat in.

Slow Burn Pt VI

Fulda
Royal Carriage
March 4 1891

“We’re the junkyard dogs, we’re the alley cats, Keep the wind at our front, and the hell at our back.” I was singing to myself as we made our way to the place I was visiting. “That’s who we are We do out talking walk that walk Wide open rocking That’s how we roll.” It was from the lead single from Eric Church’s album The Outsides which was also the name of the song.

Dona touched my hand, “Wilhelm you need to stop singing we are almost there.”

I sighed slightly. “I miss having music that has an edge to it. Don’t give me wrong the stuff we listen to now is good but sometimes I want something with an edge to it. Raw if you will.” I turned my head out to look snow on the ground. Like I told my real mother Eric Church was the closest thing my generation back in the 21st century US had to Johnny Cash. I missed that kind of music.

“You are a strange one at times Wilhelm but god I can’t help but love you.” At that I leaned in and kissed her. There was one thing I was sure of, my love for Dona was solid as a rock.

As we pulled back from said kiss, “One day you are going to have to explain somethings to me dear.”

“Yes Honey.” I said to her. I looked back out and saw we were stopping. “Not now through.”

We had reached out location for today’s visit. It was one of the newest Carl Friedrich Gauss Society Research Centers. It wasn’t much at the moment; however, it had just been brought earlier this year by the society once we had the commitment of the person who would be leading this center to come to Germany. Granted that man had only been in Germany for a week now having been in this center for a few days, I still wanted to visit him.

Nikola Tesla had always been one of the highest placed people on who I wanted to recruit and bring to Germany in part of my effort to build up Germany into a scientific and engineering powerhouse that couldn’t be challenged. He through had rebuffed the first attempts at recruitment by the various agents I had sent out to comb the world for talent. Then again, I was having a fair bit of luck with African-Americans and some lesser known talent. Tesla at the time was making a killing working for Westinghouse.

Markets changed through and Westinghouse was able to force Tesla to give up his royalties to his various patents. Soon after that Tesla got in contact with one of the agents that I had in North America. That led to Tesla coming to Germany to further his research. Given how I was on the patron of the CFG Society, if not the driving force behind it I wanted to see what he was currently working on. Plus, he did cable that he had something he wanted to show me when he was still a day out from docking in Hamburg.

Tesla came out of the small building and show me into the building that had been brought. One of the things he showed out to the agent was his Tesla Coils. It was the reason we were basing Tesla here in Fulda instead in Berlin or one of the smaller suburbs around Berlin. Those things if they were to work needed space. Personally, I had my doubts, but with the way CFG was set up it would have to follow some known dead ends just to make sure it didn’t hit every time. That would just look to odd to score a double with every hit, if not a home run.

After the greetings he explain to me the nature of his idea. This was not what I was expecting. Somehow the journey across the pond gave Tesla the idea for radar. Ugh this is not what I wanted, not now. One day sure, but not now. I needed that to be a game change not something everyone and their brother had. Then again it would still be a long while before it became a useful tool. So, I hoped this didn’t lead to everyone else starting work on radar.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 15 1891

I watched as my husband entered our bedroom. He was in a suit, instead of the uniform that would become common place in the world that we knew but would never happen now. It wasn’t he didn’t ware one, but its more because he opted for suits most times over a uniform. It was after ten at night at the moment. And while we did enjoy a healthy nightlife, tonight wasn’t going to be that kind of passion filed night. No something had been nagging at me for a while now and I needed answers and it could no longer wait.

He could tell something was up by the way I was looking at him. “What?” He asked me in French in effort to lighten the mood. He had been working on studying the French language. He was fluent in both Spanish and English along with the far more common German, but his French still needed a lot of work. Then again so did his Polish. In both cases through he could follow along if the conversation was in either language from context mostly of the conversation. He wouldn’t be able to add much to the conversation through.

“It’s better if you stick you a tongue you are fluent in for tonight.” I said in English. We had a habit of speaking in a language other than German for when we needed to talk about things others could not find out about. Notably things like us being people from the 21st century or the fact Wilhelm really wasn’t even German! And that was the thing that was bugging me. Putting aside the fact Wilhelm without question was an Imperialist of the first order, how could an American so easily become a German Patriot? It was something I didn’t understand and wanted answers on.

You could see Wilhelm cringe as I said that. He took off his jacket and put it over the chair. He then loosened his tie as he started to walk over to our bed. “What’s the matter dear. I never seen you with this look in your eye since we first met.” Speaking in English.

“In my travels before this, every American I had ever met was for a lack of better terms America Fuck Yeah. Yet you are pouring yourself heart and soul into the cause of the Fatherland without trying to tie us to Washington along the way. I want to know why.” I loved this man, but this was nagging at me and I needed answers.

Wilhelm sat down on the bed next to me. He put his back on the headboard and took a deep breath as he was using his one good hand to rub his hair. “Simply put its complicated.”

“That’s clear as mud dear. Talk to me, why are you throwing yourself into building up Germany like you are.” Today he had sent time speaking to a group of veterans that were part of the Deutscher Kriegerbund along with chairing a meeting with industrialist. The former was part of an outreach so those other areas of Germany that didn’t belong to Prussia would feel welcomed there. The latter was an effort to achieve labor peace. Both noble goals to help push Germany along to being top dog. The way he was pushing himself through he was throwing everything body and soul into it made me wonder why.

“Hope really. For the first time since possibly finished jump school at Benning I feel hope.” It was the first time he spoke these words out loud to anyone. “Even through I’m a member of the purple here, I have hope and I be damn if I lose this feeling again.” I looked at him wonder where this was going as he kept speaking. “I know I have the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head, but I feel hope again for a better world.”

Wilhelm took a deep breath. “America all it does is take you and spit you out whole. Hell, we took the British and made them into our loyal lap dogs. We did that to the bloody BRITISH. Do you think honestly, they will do anything better with us? I want to achieve a true empire that stands the test of time, one where the sun never sets on. They will force us out of the colonies. They will do there damnest to kill a German Commonwealth if our efforts to assimilated the colonies fail. The American Oligarch class will make sure of it. So why would I want to uplift the nation of my birth when its just going to piss on everything I worked for in my life again?”

I sat in our bed pondering about what Wilhelm had just said. “That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.” I finally said.

“Why lie about it? Whatever means brought us here did so for a reason. I believe that reason is to create a better future, and notably that of Germany. We might fail, but we have to try and give 110 percent. So I’m not holding nothing back and putting everything I have into making a Germany that can stand the test of time.”

Slow Burn Pt VII

Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 76
May 30 1891

“Your majesty I must ask, why do you believe there will be any resources in the Ottoman Empire that would be worth this offer?”

I had just outlined a plan to for a German lead resource survey of the Ottoman Empire. Granted all of the current German resource survey teams were busy doing that in the colonies along with Germany itself at the moment. However, it would be a few years before this deal would be sign. This was about getting the ball rolling on the idea through and get feed back from the Ottoman Empire.

The plan for itself called for resource survey within the whole of the Ottoman Empire to be done over a ten-year time frame. Germany would have exclusive rights to any mineral deposits, or we so wish we could sell the rights off to these deposits to other select nations. Those nations being the British, Dutch, Austro-Hungarians, or Italians. The latter two the Ottomans did not have good relations with but if I didn’t include them, I would get push back from them in other areas. So, when they objected to them, it would be an easier sell to cut them out.

It was the profit sharing plan where I thought the genesis of the plan lay. Under the plan 15% of the profits would go into paying down the debt held by the Ottoman Empire. Once the debt that held by the Ottoman Public Debt Administration was paid off that money would be divided in half. Half of it would go to the already 10% of discretionary spending they already had. The other half would go into general public work programs. The next 15% would go into paying for and off the infrastructure needed to bring these resources to the open market. One that was done, that money would see a split like with the 15% that was being used at first to pay off the Ottoman debt. Finally, the remaining 60% would come back to Germany itself.

The way the treaty was set up, a lot of that money outside the already large 60% would find its way back to Germany the way I had this set up. This was because of an agreement to buy German products in this treaty. This would allow the industries of Germany to build up their abilities to make stuff along with putting more people to work. It was a good thing all around.

“I don’t.” It was a flat out lie. I knew there were resources there that I wanted. Oil being the big one. Then there was also the Boron and Chromium mines somewhere in Anatolia. Then there were also iron deposits, and if I recalled correctly uranium deposits somewhere in the Middle East in general. Then there was the areas of the Balkans the Ottomans currently held which I didn’t know enough about to know what resources were there. The uranium would come in handy when the time came for that. Iron would help at least light industries to build up in the Ottoman Empire. They needed to be more than a farming nation for what I had planned.

“However, we are going to need allies. They need allies along with economic development.” Even with me playing the British well, they wouldn’t formally commit to an alliance with a European Power and I knew it. So, opening another front against the Russians was key. The Ottomans would do just that. Even if they were nothing more than cannon fodder, everything would help. Given the team in Ottoman Empire working with their army I hoped to have something more than cannon fodder there.

“Even so I don’t expect anything to come of this soon. We however, do need to get the ball rolling here. Along with the other reforms I was talking about.”

“Yes, your reform package your majesty is sweeping.” Currently the foreign service was an exclusive club. People needed to have at least 6,000 marks private income to join the service. This is on top of a degree from a top flight university. Then generally be a protestant. There were some Catholics in the Auswärtiges Amt but they were few and far between. If you were Jewish you had no hope in hell of getting in.

I wanted to change that. I wanted to drop the requirement to have a private income to join the service. Further I wanted to open it up to middle class like I was pushing for the army. We needed to grow the service to allow it perform all of the needed task. However, I wanted to hold it to a high bar. So, I wasn’t pushing for the middle class to joining the service at the moment. No, I was more pushing to open up who could join from the aristocrats ranks as not all of them were rich even if they had a good mind.

Further like with the army I was pushing for a standard to be put in place to be promoted. I always have hated the old boy club systems. I wanted clean and professional system in place.

“Your thoughts on them.” I asked.

Uniting the Front Part I Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 7 2020

Louis took his seat in the history class after walking across the campus. It had been an enjoyable walk it being in the low to middle 20s right now. And with the rainy season coming to an end the sun was out right now which made it more enjoyable than it had been for the bulk of the walks across campus had been this term. Granted there was rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but after months of dealing with rain almost every day it made today a nice chance of pace for the sun to be out and dry.

With Louis being in his seat, he pulled out his tab computer from his backpack. Flipping the case open he set himself up to taking notes for the coming lecturer in his history class. Even through Ausländisches Studentenprogramm focused on getting its students ready for hard science degrees, it was still a balance education system. With the case of his tab now holding it up Louis when about setting it up. Since the battery was fully charged and would last eight hours before needing to be charged, he didn’t plug his tab into the charging outlet that was at his desk. Instead, he powered up the laser projected keyboard so he could type notes as the Ph.D. history student who taught the class gave her lecturer.

About a minute later Ph.D. Candidate Zuzanna Vogel entered the classroom. She was performing her year teaching in the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm as part of her Ph.D. program. Within Germany it was common for Ph.D. candidate who wanted to end up in the university system instead of going into pure research fields to end up teaching within the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm for a year. “Morning everyone.” She said in her cheerful way that she was known for by her students.

There were various mornings from the 30 or so students in the class. After that quieted down Zuzanna started to speak again, “Picking up from yesterday, one of the biggest events that would help weld Germany into the superpower that it is today wasn’t from some new weapon or technology, it was education and understanding.”

Using a clicker in her hand Zuzanna brought up the computer projector that hung from the celling of the classroom. This brought up a photo from the power point presentation she had for this class. “Kaiser Wilhelm the Second was a key figure in brokering the deal that saw the Education Act of 1891 and getting it through the Reichstag. Even through in the 21st century this act is viewed by all Germans no matter their ethnic background as common sense, in 1891 though, the act was viewed as highly controversial. And not for just one reason mind you, there were two sections that highly controversial but it was Wilhelm that brought the votes to the table to get it to pass through various wheeling and dealing.”

The photo on the screen was Wilhelm later in life visiting a Grundschule that had been named in his honor. “The first and the more controversial part of this act was known as the Posen Compact.” She when on clicking the clicker that was in her hand. With this click she brought up a map of Germany pre-World War One borders. Instead of showing the borders of the various kingdom, grand duchies, etc, it was an map that highlighted the linguistic minorities of Germany. There was one that stood head and shoulders over the rest. It was the Polish language which had millions of native speakers within Germany. There were others that had a couple hundred thousand but only the Polish had numbers that mattered. Further some of those languages and groups have sense disappeared as German assimilation was a sight to behold.

“After the failed effort by Bismarck in Germanizing Posen, Wilhelm the Second took a different tact to how to bring the millions of Poles of Germany to be loyal Germans even if they call themselves Polish-Prussians.” Indeed, on the census form Polish-Prussian was one of the ethnic groups that could be checked and was in the top five ethnic groups to be checked when the German Empire performed a census. With at the time of the map that was being projected based on how the count is done in the 21st century they would had been the second largest ethnic group within Germany.

“Instead of Bismarck’s misguided colonization efforts in Posen, Wilhelm decided to bring the Polish-Prussians into the tent as it were. Under the Posen Compact the schools within Posen were allowed to teach Polish at the primary language in their school system. They did have to offer German as the primary language for the German primary speakers within the Province. Further at the gymnasium level, those who took Polish as their primary language up to this point had to take German as their elected foreign language. On the other hand, those who took German up till this point had to take Polish as their elected foreign language.”

Zuzanna then when about speaking a few sentences in Polish instead of the German she had been speaking in prior to. Most of the students including Louis in the class simply let out a little laugh at this as none of them spoke Polish. She then switched back to German knowing that most of her students didn’t speak any Polish. “Outside of Posen through, was another part of the Compact that when into effect. This was that Polish was offered as one of the languages that could be studied at gymnasium.”

“It was this understanding that laid the path for Germany to become the nation it is today. Where Germany is the only true multi-linguistic democracy in the world.” Louis knew that was true. Canada was the closest nation that came close to holding a light to Germany, but it was only bi-linguistic. Germany was a true multi-linguistic nation with five different major languages being spoken within Germany by over five million people. Granted everyone knew German, but most Germans were bi-lingual to the point they were fluent in both languages. It wasn’t unheard of to have Germans who could speak three or more of the five major languages fluently.

“With this understanding, Wilhelm when about forming a united empire. There would be more challenges for him to face. Even through the sections dealing with religion under the 1891 Education Act were controversial, this question wouldn’t finally be settled…”

Building Bridges Pt I

Metz
Covered Market, Metz
August 16 1891

One of the most vexting questions I faced on the long-term domestic front was the question of what do to with Elsaß-Lothringen. This currently was my second visit to the Imperial Territory of Elsaß-Lothringen since my coronation, and given the Education Act of 1891 that I had just signed into law was causing some problems in this part of my empire. So, I was visiting the region trying to smooth things over with the locals. So, I was about to hold something akin to an American town hall meeting to talk with these folks.

As I was getting ready to go out to speak to this group of people I was thinking overall about my standing within Germany. Unlike the 21st century of America I didn’t have polling to pull on to figure out my popularly with the normal German citizens of the Empire. So it wasn’t as easy to get my pollster on the phone and ask him how its going. Hell, telephones were still a rare thing in Germany at the moment even through that was changing. But at the moment I had to gauge how the population felt about me on a host of other factors.

Based on those factors I was fairly well liked by the bulk of the population. The best methods was reading the newspapers and how people reacted when I entered the room for speaking engagements. Using this system, I think there I was fairly popular with the normal German. There was no way to know for sure, but that was how I read the tea leaves at the moment. Within the Junkers class through there was growing unrest. I was pushing reforms and they weren’t happy with it as it was slowly cutting into their power.

I also knew Bismarck was beyond pissed with me. After that opinion piece he wrote after the Education Act was signed into law, there was no question where he stood. He hated my fucking guts. I had given serious thought about having him arrested as he dropped a few state secrets in that opinion piece. However, such an action would really set off the Junkers and I decided against it. I did however speak with Bismarck soon after. Well speak might not be the right word for it as it quickly devalued into a shouting match. I made it clear through he done fucked himself as there was no way I was metalizing his house now. That really set him off the deep end, but the terms for that happening was clear and he broke it. I was basically at the point of pox on his house.

As for now I thought about where stood now on Elsaß-Lothringen I wasn’t sure how to go forward with it. I had given serious thought about making its own grand duchy, possibly a kingdom. Now I wasn’t so sure about this. I was now looking at the possibly of welding Elsaß-Lothringen on to Baden and promoting Baden to the level of a kingdom within the German Empire. Frederick I the current Grand Duke of Baden was a close ally of mind and was helping me promote German unity.

Still it was going to be a long while before that happened. Plus, I still had to figure out what to do with that pesky French minority within Elsaß-Lothringen. They were pissed that they weren’t getting the same treatment as the Poles were. Unlike the Poles through the French had caused a number of questions about if they were loyal to Germany or if they were still loyal to France. Further they seem to be missing the fact that French was still an elective foreign language at the gymnasium level.

To put it simply, I was going to need an officer corp that could speak French till I finally defanged them and put all my efforts to the east and south. Because if I had it my way the 20th century was going to be the German not American century.

Building Bridges Pt II

Munich
St. Mary’s Church
September 23 1891

This was one of the few times I had ever been in a Catholic Church, either in my current life as Wilhelm the Second or my prior life. I could still count the number of times I been in a church like this on one hand still if I was totally honest with myself. Yet I was the one who had requested this meeting so as I waited for the personal envoy of Pope Leo XIII I was looking at the art of the church. I had to say the stain glass was a beautiful sight to look at, as the skill to make it was breathtaking.

One of the trickiest tasks I had was to balance the different religious groups within my empire. I had a mix of Catholics, Protestants, and Jewish faiths in my empire in large numbers. Personally, I didn’t give that much of a damn what god people worship, what I did give a damn about through, was making sure grifters and other cons didn’t highjack faith along with keeping peace between the faiths. I knew that I was still partly viewing things through a 21st century American lens, but after everything I had seen it was hard not to.

In the Education Act that I had just signed into law this year I had to perform a balancing act when it came to religious groups to get it to pass the Reichstag. Even then it had been a pain in the ass to get it through. In public schools up to the Gymnasium level there was a course every year dealing with religion. It by the law of the land now was to teach the faiths of Abraham in a neutral tone. I couldn’t get more than that, but it was a start. In schools that were funded by the church through, they could teach with a tilted view. They however could not teach facts that were incorrect. Currently I had a group working with the Catholic Church on working out the finer details of what that meant as that section wasn’t to come into force till 1901. I had given a decade to it simply knowing how long it took the Catholic Church to move on some issues.

“Your majesty.” Came from the personal envoy of Pope Leo XIII.

I turned from the stain glass window I was looking at. “Your Eminence.” I said to Cardinal Priest Gustav Adolf, Cardinal Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.

At that I walked over to where the Cardinal was standing, “Thank you for allowing me to present my message so the pope could receive it.” As we started to walk. I was known as an active ruler and one who didn’t like sitting down unless there was no other recourse in the matter. Given the age of the good cardinal through I kept the pace slow enough.

“Your message as received has the Holy Father intrigued and slightly worried.”

“I figured it would.” I said to no one, but for effect for moving on. “As to the first part I would like to see the Holy Father promote Bishop Georg von Kopp to somewhere, anywhere out of Germany.” Currently Bishop von Kopp was Prince-Bishop of Breslau, and a bloody headache. He was a leftover from the Bismarck era, and was pushing for the Germanization of the Polish in his dioceses. He had come out hard against the Education Act and I wanted him gone.

“We had the German governor’s blessing when Bishop von Kopp was appointed to his current position your majesty.” The Cardinal counter.

“I also wasn’t Kaiser when that blessing was given your eminence. Now he is actively attempting to derail the polices of my government. This is unacceptable to me. Its why I ask that you find another job for the good Bishop. Promotion him somewhere, as I’m sure the Catholic Church could find him a good job somewhere out side the borders of my nation.”

The Cardinal to my left didn’t speak for a few moments. “Assuming this does happen, it will not happen in a fortnight, or possibly anytime this year your majesty.”

“I understand this your eminence. I believe a time frame of six to eight months through should be long enough to find a landing spot for the good bishop. In the off chance this proves to be impossible, I would like you to find a way to reel in his anti-government positions.”

“Your majesty I believe this would be an achievable goal. Now to your other part of the letter to the Holy Father.”

“Ah yes,” It was the carrot for getting rid of von Kopp or at least toning his shit down if getting out of my nation was impossible. “I believe that the natives in the colonies need to become good Christians, but which sect, its not my concern.” This was me talking the talk, simply I didn’t care but I couldn’t let that be known. I was more worried about making a strong middle class in the colonies than which god they decided to follow. “If the Church is willing to work with me, I believe it will be possible to remove some of the caps leftover from the Kulturkampf era of Bismarck’s rule on your Church’s efforts in the colonies.”

Building Bridges Pt III

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 3 1891

General der Infanterie Julius von Verdy du Vernois was sitting across from me at the moment. His deputy Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff was sitting to his right. To the left of von Verdy was newly promoted Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann. The four of us had just debating who would be the new Prussian Minister of War[1]. With the death of Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff a few days ago had created the need for a replacement as we were all in agreement the current acting Prussian Minister of War was not the long-term answer at this critical position.

The key was to find someone who was open to the reforms that were being pushed at the moment by myself and the three men that sat across from me. One of the biggest reforms that had just been put in place was the TO&E of the standard infantry division, with each one having a total of 36 MG89[2] per infantry divisions. That was well short of the 72 per division I wanted, but still 36 machine guns per division and not losing any artillery would give our infantry divisions a fair bit of punch. We would have far more machine guns than everyone else per division and I was hoping in about a decade to reform the TO&E again to get even more machine guns into the division level.

Another key change was that to cavalry. We were shifting away from lances in combat to more firearm-based tactics. It wasn’t a whole on giving up on the lance. I wasn’t giving that away yet. Yet I wanted my cavalry to be able to make the switch to solely firearms when the time came for it. That most likely would be the start of any war, but I needed to maintain the illusion so no one would figure it out. That was the tricky thing I finding wanting to go full throttle only to think it out a bit more that I didn’t want to tip my hand too much on military reforms just yet.

With the debate behind us and me needing some time to think about it, we moved over to the other business at hand. “Gentlemen what do you think of the new Einheitlicher Code der Militärjustiz that is working its way through the Reichstag?”

I had been working on this for a while and it was heavily based on my knowledge of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice that I had been under when I had been in the US Army. Only I had modified it to reflect late 19th century German ideas where possible. This had been in work since unification of Germany, but I just fast tracked it. The only problem I really saw with it was the fucking Bavarians wouldn’t accept it for use with the Bavarian Army. The House of Wittelsbach was becoming a royal pain in my ass anymore.

“There are good points with it and only one bad area over all with it.” von Verdy started with. “It was needed reform so I support it.”

I knew the bad area he was talking about and was the area where the tooth and nail fights had come in, and frankly I was in no mood to rehatch this fight. “I agree that it was much needed reform.” With everyone in the room knowing me decided to leave it at that.

“If your majesty is finished, other duties call.” Von Verdy said.

“Yes, go ahead with the other things you need to do.” I replied. With that the three uniform men left the room and when about their day.

Once they had left the room, I got up from my seat and when to the window to look outside. I knew the area of the ECdM they had issues with it. It was the section on dealing when civilians fell under it. For German held territories, it was only if they had been occupied by hostile forces. Even there it was limited. This was known in the ECM as an Article 101. Article 101 was giving aid or comfort to the enemy in times of war. Outside 101, the ECdM could not be applied to the German civilian population. They had wanted all German civilians within 50 kilometers of the front to fall under the ECdM. I wasn’t having that.

If it was foreign territory that was occupied by Germany, it was a different case all together. The whole of the civilian population in these areas could be charged with any of the articles of the ECdM, with one important catch. These actions were taken against the German military itself or in an effort to harm the German war effort. If the crime was committed in occupied held German military zones and didn’t affect the German war effort it would be left to local devices to deal with.

Basically, I didn’t want to deal with Francs-tireurs. As such I had taken pains to outline when someone who was behind the lines would get prisoner of war rights or not when working with the politicians to get this done. The two key points were simple. First, they had to openly carry their arms. The second was they had to be in a clear uniform, an no arm bands didn’t count. It had to be clear at a distance and an issued uniform from the government in question. If caught in civilian clothes, you were being slapped with ECdM charges. Given how the ECdM was set up after a fair trial they could appeal the ruling to me. If I refuse to hear the appeal, the punishment would start. It they however were caught in uniform and had openly carried their arms they would get the treatment of prisoner of wars.

Currently there was a lack of international law dealing with this. As such I was hoping when The Hauge Convention happened that the ECdM could be used as a blueprint for dealing with this stuff. I wanted it to be clear to my soldiers who were the friendlies were, who the civilians were and who were out to kill you. Failure to follow that, it depends on what you did. It would range from hard labor for x number of years to being placed up against the wall and shot. It really depended on what you did.

One area I knew they didn’t care about was the fact I had put into the ECdM a section dealing with prizes of war. On sea I largely copied the British playbook for that. On land through I when with a different approach. Simply put I didn’t want my armies looting and raping whole towns. Too much trouble would come from that. Instead I had set up a system where soldiers could claim prizes they wished to claim. It would have to be something that could reasonably be found on a battlefield to be accepted by the prize claim court. If I didn’t want them to own it for whatever reason or if it was a piece of tech that I wanted to study they would be given prize money instead of allowing the item to go to where ever they were trying to send it.

[1] I’m open to ideas as a lot of people I’m looking at are simply too junior for such a position.

[2] A 7 mm Maxim MG.

Tech Growth Part I

Friedrichshafen
Carl Friedrich Gauss Society, Friedrichshafen
December 12 1891

This morning I had spent running with the local running club. It seemed these running clubs were popping up all over Germany following my lead. With the Berlin Marathon finishing its third race this year with over 200 people including myself taking part in the run it wasn’t all that surprising. I wasn’t a distance runner for speed through, having only finished 48th in the Marathon this year. I was far faster in things like the 5000- and 10,000-meter events than I ever would be in a marathon even through I could run a marathon.

Working with Demetrios Vikelas, the Summer Olympics were going to be happening next summer in Athens. I worked mostly with him in various areas to build up the support for the International Olympic Committee. It was with this that I had been able to secure the 1896 summer games for Berlin. Even through we were working out the ideas at the moment I was pushing for something of a rotating system for the games instead of bidding for the games as it was now. I was hoping to keep the graft and corruption that was the bidding process I knew in the 21st century from happening. But at the moment it was still a bidding process.

I was also planning on taking part in the 1892 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meter relay. Dona was also trying to take part but even with my support women Olympic games wasn’t a given at the moment. She however wasn’t the runner I was. She liked to swim, then again with her figure that was understandable. Her joy of swimming through has led to some break throughs in chemistry. With her work on the subject it led to the idea of water chlorination and the first pool being built in one of our Berlin Palaces. Also, the first town to have water chlorination plant was in the works at the moment.

The reason through I was here in Friedrichshafen wasn’t sport. The run with the local running club was more building up my relations with the normal Germans. In some quarters I was becoming known as the People’s Kaiser for my actions of speaking with commoners. I was here for the man who had just entered the room, Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

My push to reform the army, had helped drive von Zeppelin out of the army. Simply put he was a good small unit leader, but put in charge of brigade, he couldn’t hack it. As such he retired from the army, but still on good terms. Soon after I had contacted him after his first paper on the idea of what would become known as Zeppelins was published. Soon after he ended up working for the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society chasing his ideas. I was here to see what he was coming up with and maybe push him down the right track.

Once the normal greetings were done Graf Zeppelin started his presentation on what his small team had come up with over the past 15 months. I was here with other board members of the CFG Society to see if his ideas were worth the 400,000 Goldmarks he was asking for to build his prototype. Even through the CFG Society was well endowed, 400,000 Goldmarks were a lot of money. Indeed, anytime some reached the prototype stage and had a request of more than 50,000 Goldmarks for their prototype of an idea the whole board would meet to see if the idea was worth it or not. 400,000 Goldmarks would be the largest single project we would had ever funded to date.

As I followed the presentation, I noticed through my historical lens I had that Zeppelin and his team had come up with something close to the LZ1 that would had flew in about a decade if not for me and my wife fucking with this timeline. It however was cruder than what would had flew over Lake Constance in that timeline. My memory told me that LZ1 through it worked, was not the right path forward. What through really had me worried about it was the frame. I might not had been an engineer, but I spent enough weekends working with my real father on various DYI projects during my teenage years to have worries about the flat sided girders they wanted to use for the frame.

Once Zeppelin left the room after his presentation I led the other board members speak before speaking myself. Clearing my throat before speaking, “I believe Graf Zeppelin’s current plans are not developed to warrant the funding. His ideas through showing promise are not mature enough to warrant the funds his team is requesting. I believe a proof of concept will be needed before I would feel confident releasing the requested funding.” There was some small talk after I said that. Then again my voice in this board carried a lot of weight.

A proof of concept was a halfway house between pure research and building full scale prototypes that the CFG Society would fund. It was basically a way we like your idea, but aren’t sure it would work the way you say it will. It allowed for further funding but not on the scale the team asked for. There were a few other comments on it before the vote was held. In a 6-1 vote it was agree not to give Zeppelin and his team the money they were requested. The next vote was 7-0 on asking for a proof of concept from Zeppelin’s team before releasing the kind of money they were asking for.

With the vote being finished, Zeppelin was shown back into the room and given the news. There were a few more questions between the board and Zeppelin on why we had decided to go with a proof of concept. Once that done the board meeting came to an end. I however asked for Zeppelin in a one on one. I was known to do this from time to time. I might of not have the hard science training my wife did, but still it didn’t make me totally useless in pushing tech.

In this short meeting with Zeppelin I outlined my worried that the flat sided frame he wanted to use simply wouldn’t be strong enough for what he was trying to achieve. Instead I gave him the idea of using triangle-sectioned girders to build the frame so it wouldn’t buckle in the wind like a flat sided girders he was planning to use. He pointed out that there were no such girders going being built. I pointed out it might be worth looking into figuring out what would be needed to make them then. But with my two pfenning giving I left Zeppelin to his thoughts as I could see I gave him an idea. Hopefully it would give me useable recon Zeppelins for when the war came and fixed wing aircraft weren’t ready yet.

1891 End of the Year Update

Domestic

The big change within Germany this year is the Education Act of 1891. This act is highly controversial within Germany. The big reasons are the Posen Compact and Religion Section within this. Under the Posen Compact it allowed the Polish Language to be taught within Posen as the primary language in lower level schools. On the flip side, there have to be schools in Posen to teach German for those who primary language is German. But at the higher level for their foreign language course, Germans in Posen have to learn Polish and Poles have to learn German. It further opened up Polish to be taught all over Germany.

Under the Religion Section in schools not controlled by the church, schools are to teach a neutral point of view on various religions. It also created a window of ten years for Berlin and the Catholic Church to come an understanding on how religion would be taught within schools they control within Germany. Wilhelm with the support of Dona is trying to increase religious tolerance within Germany with they need to work with the Catholic Church to achieve this. So there is some give and take here.

Simply put the Education Act is massive, and in time becomes the basics for German education. Its that bloody important.

Further there are on going talks between Wilhelm’s government and the Catholic Church about the Catholic Church setting up schools within the colonies. These talks through are moving faster than those caused by the reform of the Education Act.

Another key law signed into the books this year is the Standardisiertes Militärrecht. (Yes I changed the name). The SM radically changed how German military law works, well outside of Bavaria. Then again Bavaria is being a pain in the ass for Wilhelm.

The SM is based off the UCMJ as known by Wilhelm. Granted there had been some changes to it to fit Germany. But still if you knew the UCMJ it would be fairly easy to figure out the SM. That said there is some stuff in the SM that is totally foreign to the UCMJ as we in OTL would know it.

The big one is Article 101, this is the only section of the SM that can be applied to civilians of the German Empire, and only during wartime. Article 101 is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Even then it would only apply to civilians if that part of Germany was occupied by a hostile power.

However, in occupied territory, the SM was a whole different beast. Any civilian could be charged with the SM if they did something that directly effected the German military machine. Further it clearly outlined what it would take to get the rights of a prisoner of war. It made it clear arm bands don’t count as uniforms. The uniform had to be clearly issued by the government and counted as pants and shirts. Further arms had to be carried openly. Fail to do either, you get slapped with SM charges. Do both you are going to a PW camp.

Finally there is a section dealing with prizes of war. For those at sea, its basically a word for word copy of British prize rules and prize courts. Then there is section for those in land base services. This is a bit more complicated. Under the land prize section of the SM, a solider can legally claim anything reason found on a battlefield as a prize, save a few things. Things like artillery pieces, regimental/unit flags, and a few other things can’t be claimed as prizes as the government is claiming them. Things like pistols, rifles, wrist watches, wedding rings, you the stuff you expect to find on a solider, that’s fair game. However you try to claim a painting, art in general, or stuff like that, you are going to be arrested for looting.

Then there is that legal gray zone for land prize laws. Things like booze and food if you liberate that and eat/drink it without causing a stink you should be fine. In theory you can claim horses as prizes, but given how the prize laws work, its going to be challenging to keep it as you are the one who have to get it home. This is assuming that is even approved by the prize court, as its more likely the government would claim it, but they most likely would give you a few marks for your troubles.

Changes Within Government Personal

Oberstleutnant Alexander von Kluck has been named aide-de-camp to Kaiser Wilhelm the Second.

Generalmajor Heinrich von Goßler was named to the position of Prussian Minister of War.

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Izmir

This is an economic treaty that was signed between Germany and the Ottoman Empire. It honestly took Wilhelm by surprise how fast the Ottomans were willing to sign the treaty. Under the terms of this treaty Germany gets exclusive rights to any mineral despots found in the Ottoman Empire, or it can elect to sell these rights to other nations. Given the speed at which this came together Germany gained a 20 year right to survey for mineral despots instead of the planned 10 years.

Under this treaty, the profit sharing plans of this are as follows. 15% right off the top will go to paying down Ottoman foreign debt. Once that is done, this 15% will be split in two. Half of it would go to discretionary spending by the Ottomans, which is already at 10%. The other half would go into general public work programs. The next 15% would go into building the needed infrastructure to bring the resources to market. Once that’s paid off, it would be split like the 15% that is going to pay down Ottoman held foreign debt. Finally the last 60% would be kicked back to Germany.

Further under this treaty the Ottomans are to buy German products for the infrastructure needs of this project. However its agree that these sells will be on favorable terms for the Ottomans. The treaty runs through 1941 before it would be renegotiated.

Foreign Regions

USA

Stable, but relations are very good

Britain

Stable, but relations are very good

France

Slight Decrease, but then again its hard to get lower

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Falling Apart

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

No major equipment adopted this year or ships ordered.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm and Dona are both in good health. Dona is pregnant again through, she is three months along at this point, but given her size they are expecting another set of twins, possibly triplets.

Tech Growth Part II

Lichterfelde
Lilienthal’s Shop
January 23 1892

There were those that were calling me the Technischer Kaiser along with the other title I was picking up, Der Volkskaiser. This was because I was known to be very supported to new technologies and was generally fastidious by it. This was true but not for the reasons people in the newspapers and magazines of my empire wrote about. Technology was key to my long term plans, as simply put long term Germany was in a damn shitty strategic position. I was going pull out every trick I could think of to allow Germany to reach the highs I wanted to reach.

It was why I was here today, speaking with Otto Lilienthal. There was the old saying, always take the high ground in warfare. In the near future that would be take control of the air, but we weren’t there yet. I knew the Wright Brothers got their start in gliding before moving on to powered flight. Frankly I didn’t want to deal with the Wright Brothers Patent War, and I was hoping that Lilienthal would be my ticket to getting around the Wright Brothers.

At the moment Lilienthal was showing me his planned glider that he was going to test in the spring once the weather improved. Lilienthal was being supported by the CFG Society but unlike Zeppelin he was no where as costly. Honestly as I looked at this glider it reminded me of the Lilienthal glider I saw in the National Air and Space Museum when my high school JROTC unit had travelled to DC for the end of the year trip back when I had been in high school during my junior year. That had been a fun trip.

I was also asking questions along the way. I was asking why he hadn’t tried to make a frame out of aluminum. I already knew the answer, but still I was trying to push things to that way. I also showed respected for Lilienthal’s answer. I wanted to get these people to work for me and take my hints and run with them when the tech allowed it. This mean having to play to each person and work with them.

Once the question and answer section was finished with Lilienthal’s current glider was done I pulled out a few pieces of paper. On this piece of paper were a series of sketches. Nothing that detailed, but I did my best to draw out one of the Wright Gliders for him. There were no measurements on the sketches, it was more like an idea of how to build a glider. I knew it was still about a decade out before something like this was to be built in the history I knew. Yet I had a reason for giving this to Lilienthal now. Simply put I didn’t want him to die in a glider crash, and I figure the Wright Glider would be safer than his current designs.

This sparked a back and fore between me and Lilienthal over the finer points of glider design. During this back and fore I also dropped the idea of a wind tunnel on Lilienthal. Like I said, I wanted Germany to control the air, and I was going to do my damnest to make sure that happened. If I had it my way Lilienthal would be the first human to perform a heavier than air powered flight. I just had to make sure he lived long enough to do it.

Admin Stuff for the TL

Ok a bit of admin stuff here.

I know I have a few native German readers here. @Monitor has helped out with translation stuff, in the past. So if one of you guys know this period of German history well, I would like to hit you guys up to work out some loose ends I'm dealing with on my end at the moment. There will be spoils so if you don't want to know don't PM me.

Next up, I'm looking for cameos. These cameos aren't coming up anytime soon through. Again if you want PM and we can work out the details. Pick the nationally of your favor, with in reason. I.e. German, French, British/Commonwealth, American, Russian, Italian, and Japanese. Also I know I have a few of you who have been following me since Flight 817 and had cameos in everyone of my TLs. Your cameos are already in motion here.

On a slightly different note, I'm priming a model I brought for this TL. I hope to have it ready for when we get to that part of the TL .So that's something to look forward to. Maybe if people like this idea I might start doing it for follow on TLs. Maybe even create a patreon account for funding this and resource books for my TLs.

Finally depending how much longer it takes me to finish up the Drachinifel Drydocks and Livesteams, I will be joining his patreon either this month or next and I will be asking him a few questions about naval matters for this TL as my efforts to create wargamming events because of COVID have fallen flat. If you don't want spoilers you will have to skip his livesteams as my hunch that's where my questions will be going. Currently part way through drydock 105, and still have all the livestreams to watch. That said his stuff has given me a lot of ideas. Its a good naval channel on youtube its worth checking out. Or if you want to help with wargamming give me some ideas here.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Tech Growth Part III

Oberndorf am Neckar
Mauser Factory
March 5 1892

Dona told me that it was one of my most American habits, and honestly, I couldn’t even argue with her on the subject. I had always enjoyed firearms, and there was no change of me on that point. During out Christmas vacation I had when out hunting and bagged a nine point buck and a wild boar. I wasn’t like Franz Ferdinand who I was building up an odd relationship with at this point. I didn’t hunt just for the shake of hunting like he did. What I killed I ate. I knew that was from my days of being poor but it who I was. Plus, for reasons I couldn’t explain it just made me feel good when I know the food on the table I help place there. Granted I didn’t cut it down but I did do some of the cleaning of it before we got it back to the palace we were staying at.

I also had started a collection of firearms since I been in this body. I had just ended up with a beautiful pair of wheel locked Saxon pistol[1]. Those weren’t my normal cup of tea through. I wanted more usable firearms as I did enjoy my time out on the range. I think I threw the Salvator-Dormus people by loop when they gave be a presentation pistol I asked them for a none-presentation one to test. I knew they were hoping for a military contact with the German Army, but I knew their pistol wasn’t the answer. I just wanted one that I could shoot that wouldn’t damage a piece of art is what they had given me.

At the moment if I had to guess, I had 500 plus firearms that I personally owned. If you take away the art pieces that were firearms but also art, it was likely around 450 weapons at the moment of various types. Then again, I had agents of mine buying up cheap surplus stuff in ones or twos for my use. I was a shooter and enjoyed to shoot different guns.

I was here through about the future of firearms for the German Army. A few years after handing Paul Mauser my ideas for a self-loading rifle, basically my memory drawings of an M1 Garand Paul had informed me that he had a pair of prototypes built. Well had. One of the prototypes had failed in test firing. The op rod snapped as it wasn’t up to the task of handing the pressures being placed on it. So, they had stopped testing the other just so they had something to show me.

Honestly it was about what I was expecting if I was honest with myself. Metallurgy wasn’t where it needed to be at the moment to handle the task of having a self-loader. Both Dona and I were working to bootstrap things here, but you could only push so fast on things. And given she was the hard science major she had a lot more to do with this than I did. Then again given she was on bed rest because she was most likely carrying triples all she could do was use her brain at the moment. Its not that I didn’t have my moments. I had been in talks with Hans Goldschmidt about creating Stainless Steel.

Yet as I entered the testing range, I saw the M1 Garand prototype that Mauser had built. I felt like a kid in a candy store looking at it as I had always had a soft spot for the Garand. I picked it up, the weight felt a bit off from what I was use to. Then again that wasn’t surprising. I pulled the bolt back and was a bit surprise by what I saw. “You couldn’t use the clip I designed?” I knew I didn’t really design it but Paul Mauser couldn’t know that.

“No sir. We just couldn’t get a thin enough of piece of metal that could hold the rounds that would feed rounds into the chamber. So I worked the design to take stripper clips. It currently will hold ten rounds from a pair of stripper clips.”

Indeed there were few stripper clips with 7 Mauser rifle ammo next to me. I so wanted to fire this but I decided to be safe about it and started to inspect the rifle closely. The last thing I needed was to end up in the hospital or dead because a prototype rifle failed. “How many rounds have you placed through this one?”

“200 so far sir. The other prototype made it to 611 rounds before the op rod failed on it.” Paul replied.

Seeing no visual cracks, I decided to load the stripper clips. Then I pulled the bolt back from locked open position and allowed it to go forward. I had to admit this was a better system as it kept someone from getting Garand Thumb. Checking it to make sure it was in battery I brought by headphones over my ears. Then I brought the stock up to my shoulder and took aim at the 300 meter target down range. The trigger pull was a bit heavy for my liking but it did have a clean break.

I pulled the rifle down to check everything worked after that shot and it did. Then I pulled it back into my shoulder and let loose with rest of the rounds. When I got to an eight round through, the trigger pull felt different and it didn’t fire. I pulled the rifle away and saw that the bolt was locked. So, I racked the bolt to try and it get it going again. But it was at this point I noticed the trigger hadn’t reset. “Herr Mauser I believe the trigger on this has failed.”

You could see it on Paul’s face this was not the news he wanted. “Don’t worry about it Herr Mauser. That was still impressive. The design needs some more work through and I’m not worried about in your hands Herr Mauser.”

It still wasn’t what he wanted to here. I decided to drop it on him now to cheer him up, “Herr Mauser, just because this didn’t work today doesn’t mean you will not getting it working in time. Further with everything you have done for the nation has not been forgotten. On the June Honor List you will be announced to be a member of Order of the Red Eagle.”

Given my birthday, the unification of Germany, and the New Years was all in the same month, I decided to split up the honor list system for announcing awards won a January and June system. Well so long as I was in power and the nation was at peace. I still needed to overhaul the award system in general through. That however was on the to do list, but it wasn’t a priority. I was giving Paul Mauser the 4th Class of the Order of the Red Eagle. Personally, I wanted to give him the 2nd Class the title Herr in the German Nobility system, but there was too much push back for that. So, he was getting the 4th Class for now.

You could tell Mauser was speechless. When he finally could speak, “I’m honor sir.”

“You earned it.” I was of the belief that those who advance science should be honor, but the Junkers didn’t want that. They were another pain in my ass I would have to deal with sooner or later.

[1]

Tech Growth Part IV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 16 1892

Dona watched as her husband left for the day to tend to the business of Germany. It gave her some small comfort that he would be home tonight as he wouldn’t be travelling till after she gave birth. Even though Dona was just nearing the eight-month mark in this pregnancy, she felt like a beached whale. She had been big in past pregnancies but this one was different. She was larger now than she had been at the nine-month mark both of the past times that she had given birth and she had been there for the fun parts of it. It wasn’t even a little bit; she was far larger than past nine-month mark. She had no doubt that she was carrying triplet. It might be even possible she was carrying quadruplets given how big she was.

She then heard Wilhelm telling the kids good-by as he left for the day. Even through Wilhelm hadn’t been a father before ending up here, he had turned into a good father. He honestly cared for the well being of his kids even the ones he didn’t father himself. The same held true for the semi-adopted daughter of theirs. Wilhelm also hadn’t been lying during a pillow talk section soon after they had consummated their relationship that he had wanted a large family. She just didn’t expect it to happen in three goes of it.

Then you could here Wilhelm leave for the room that was outer of their personal bedroom. Moments later her large family came rushing in. Their oldest Wilhelm Junior was leading the family into the bedroom. He was oldest of the kids being almost ten now. He was followed in by Eitel, Adalbert, August, Frederick, Victoria Louise, and Elisabeth but not in that order. Gabriele and Stefanie were being brought in by the pair of governesses we had in our employ. It was honestly a full house with the nine kids we had with at least three if not four more on the way.

Well Elisabeth wasn’t ours. She was staying with us to escape the pressures of the Royal Court in Vienna in the aftermath of her father’s death. Franz Joseph it seems hated the Elisabeth for reasons that neither me nor Wilhelm could figure it out. So even through Mayerling happened three years ago Franz Joseph was more than happy for Elisabeth to stay with us. Even her own mother it seems didn’t want anything to do with her. Elisabeth though was a bright child if strong willed. She would be a capable woman if she kept this up Dona thought.

For the next few minutes Dona talked with all her children. They all came up and hugged her, and she even hugged her youngest twins. With her little time with the children done they left as they headed to the area where they would be studying for the day. She then spent some time speaking with the governesses to cover the lessons they were being taught today. Dona wanted to make sure all her children had a top-notch education and had hired two of the best governesses’ money could hire. Granted the fact they were known for their liberal tendencies had been a small scandal, but Dona wanted her children to have that in their system.

With that behind her Dona pulled out her note pad and started working on various topics that crossed her mind. Given she was on bedrest at the moment, she couldn’t work in her small laboratory here. As such she would spend her time working from memory working on various things. Even through she had been on bedrest since just after Christmas this time hadn’t been wasted. She had written two papers on chemistry with one being published under her pseudonym Countess Sophia. Of the paper that had been published had been on noble gases but had primary focused on argon. Countess Sophia had been officially accredited with the discovery of argon early last year.

In that paper she when into what she had learned along with ways to make argon in industrial scale production. Granted it wasn’t perfect but based on what she knew it should work. More than likely it could be improved but such was life. Both her and Wilhelm were going for good enough and not perfect in many parts of their lives. This was once such moment. Plus, with the patents she had filed for her work into argon would make a petty Pfennig once they were approved. Indeed her and even the few number of patents that Wilhelm had filed for under his pseudonym of Count Jakob had brought in a fair bit of money into the royal house hold.

As for the other paper? It was an effort by Dona to recreate the Haber Process. She needed to take the time to test it through, but she had written that paper anyways. Once she had given birth, she would need to take the time to test it, but with that it would be a boon to German agriculture. She didn’t like how Wilhelm knew that the Haber Process could be used for explosives. They however had come to an agreement to disagree on matters of the military and use of force. Those disagreements would stay outside the bedroom through. At the moment through that was a challenge given she couldn’t leave the bedroom so they just didn’t talk about it.

Currently she was working on another paper. This one was on model of the atom. Like her paper on the Habor Process this paper wouldn’t be published till after her current pregnancy. She wanted to get into her lab and work on it some to make sure she was right and it could be proven with the current tech. She was being carful with her published papers to make sure she didn’t give it away that she had future knowledge.

Just as she started a new paragraph then she felt something. Then she noticed her bed was becoming slightly wet. “Damn it, my water broke.” She said to no one as she rung the rope to call for help. It only took a moment for a servant to enter the room and Dona spoke calmly, “Call the midwife.”

Finishing the Family

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 28 1892

I was overlooking my four youngest children. The papers were calling them the Kaiser’s Quad[1], they were the first set of quadruplets born that all four had lived for more than a day or two. I’m not sure how my aim was that good that I knocked Dona up with four children at once. Then again it most likely not all at once as there were three girls, and a boy in this group of quadruplets. It was also clear that the girls weren’t identical triplets. There was a set of identical twins, but the third was different than the other two.

The breath on the back of my neck told me that my wife and love of my life was behind me. I turned around and kissed her on the lips. Once our lips were parted, “How are babies doing?” She asked me in a whisper.

For Dona this past pregnancy had been challenging. She had spent months on bedrest. Then when they did come she spent over 14 hours delivering them. By the time she had finished pushing out the last of them, she was barely with us. I couldn’t believe it that they all made it, even now. The doctors had made it clear that Dona had almost died in this delivery. They further made it clear she couldn’t ever get pregnant again as another one would almost to be sure to kill her. I just thanked god through that my wife and all four of my children made it through that.

“They are sleeping like the angels they are.” Frankly I enjoyed being a father, and it was a shame that I wouldn’t be able to have anymore after this.

Pregnancy had cause Dona to put on a fair bit of weight. But she honestly carried it well, but unlike last couple of times the weight wasn’t coming off. I was fine with that through, as it was just more of her to love. “It will be a shame to wake them, but the crew for the family portrait is here.” Dona said softly not wanting to wake the four of them.

“I agree it’s a shame, but such is life.” I replied to her before pulling her in for a kiss again. Just as our lips touched one of the babies decided to stop us with a cry. We both just laughed as we broke away.

Building Alliances Pt I

Athens, Greece
Panathenaic Stadium
July 1 1892

I personally led the German Olympic team here to Athens. From the standards I was use to it was a small team for a nation as large as Germany, being just 33 athletics including myself. Then again that was the largest national team out side of Greece which itself was the host nation. Yet for me this was the point of years of work to bring the Olympics to the world, all the while hoping to keep the IOC from falling into the pitfalls that it did in the history I knew.

I was still in my running clothes as I watched my team mates finish the last two legs of the 4 x 400 meter relay. I had been the lead off runner in the event, and build up at least a five to six second lead of the French team that was in second when I handed off the baton to Hans von Seeckt. What could I say I was a fast runner for this stage of time. The man was one of my aide-de-camps. Well not for much longer, he already had orders to report to the Jäger battalion of the 1st Guard Infantry Division next month.

Hans’s replacement was already lined up. I had decided to select Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck to be my new junior officer aide-de-camp. I now had everyone from junior officers, to field grade officers, to general officers as aide-de-camps. Granted I wasn’t as skilled as they were, they would admit if I had more time to study that I would be a dangerous foe on any battlefield. But as it stood now, I was more ranked amateur than professional. Even if I was a gifted amateur, I was still only an amateur.

This was the fourth and final event I was taking part in. The first event I ran was the 1500 meters and I took home the gold medal in that event with a time just over 4 minutes which was far faster than I needed to be by at least 20 seconds at least. Then I also won gold at the 5000 meters with a time of just under 14 minutes which was also a fairly clear victory for me. The other was the 4 x 100 meter relay, but that one my relay team didn’t medal in. It was looking like Germany would win another medal possibly gold, only for that to go by the wayside on the final baton hand off which had been muffed and the baton dropped and we had been DQ from the event. That had been a painful thing to watch.

Currently I was watching my team make its way around the track here in this famous stadium. Like in the earlier 4 x 100 meter relay we would take medal so long as the baton hand off didn’t get muffed. With the lead we had that would be a gold medal. When I watched the hand off get made cleanly, I knew I would I would be getting another gold medal and adding another gold to our count. It was a beautiful thing. In the world I came from I never would been able to take apart in the Olympic Games, yet now I was on the way to winning my third gold medal out four events.

<*>

Hotel

After being awarded the gold medal for our win in the 4 x 400 meters myself and my team had returned to the hotel that we were using in these games. I had all of the athletics of the German team here. Tomorrow would be the closing ceremony held. I was holding a dinner in their honor. There was small talk all around. Then I slightly tapped by drinking glass with my knife. That sound was enough to get everyone be quiet.

I stood up, “I just want to say a few words before we eat. I want to say how proud I am of all of you. During the past ten days you proven to the world that Germany is a leader in sport.” Indeed, we had. Germany had walked away with 37 medals total in these games with 13 of them being gold. We were second in total number of medals with the Greeks having a total of 54 medals, but we had the most gold medals.

“Let no one ever take away the fact you are Olympians now. When I return to Berlin it would be my honor to host you for a formal dinner there. But for now, let’s eat!” I then raised my beer glass in toast. It was met by the other Germans in the room.

Unlike them I wouldn’t be returning directly to Germany. I was travelling on to Istanbul, or as it was now known Constantinople. This was part of my effort to save the Ottoman Empire. Simply put I wanted them to be a strong southern force to punch against the Russians, but it would take time to get them there. This was another opening part in my effort to stabilize the Ottomans. And the wonderful thing about this was I had the blessing of the British for this.

Then again, I was really playing off their fear of a Russian control Europe. A fear that at the moment ran deep and with the Russians having allied with their oldest foes in the French, it was working out beautifully for me at the moment.

Building Alliances Pt II

Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor Castle
August 19 1892

I was looking forward to returning home after almost two months travelling across Europe and the Middle East. The most fun stop had been in Athens when I had taken part in the first Summer Olympic Games in history. The least fun stop was honestly a tie between Vienna and Rome. Even through they were both my allies, the bad blood between Vienna and Rome was beyond noticeable. The only thing that kept the two on anything close to speaking terms was their alliance with my nation.

Personally, I was expecting Austria-Hungary to fall apart sooner or later. The Hungarians were just too damn stubborn to allow the reforms that would need to take place to allow the Duel-Monarchy live long into the 20th century. Frankly I was fine with that as I wanted to add on the bulk of Cisleithania to my own empire. Not all of it, but the sizable chunk of it. And with the Hungarians having the bulk of their economy being based off farming, it would be easier to put them in their place once they lost the economic might of Cisleithania.

Italy on the other hand was a whole different can of worms. Their hunger from empire was bigger than their bite. Honestly to listen to the Italians you think they had somehow rebuilt themselves as the Roman Empire in its glory and could defeat all commers. I somehow, I doubted those claims they made. Frankly I viewed the Italians at the moment more as useful idiots than anything else. If I could create a long term alliance with them following the collapse of Austria-Hungary would be nice but wasn’t critical to my long term plans.

What was critical to my long term plans was making sure the Italians won the Battle of Adwa this time around. I was working to get the various parts of Africa and the Pacific I controlled to become part of Germany, and that wasn’t an easy task. But thankfully as resources were being found I was getting infrastructure built up and more importantly schools which would help with my goals. But if the Ethiopians won Adwa, bad things would happen to my plans to create a multi-continent empire/nation. It was why I had plans for Baratieri to be removed as that man shouldn’t be running a hot dog stand never mind an army.

At the moment through I was visiting the British as part of my effort to shore up a possible alliance between London and Berlin. Relations between our nations were improving with the efforts I had been making. Plus, it helped that I knew Vicky was all but a British agent. So, I had been using her to help create the mood in London to what I want it so it will make the key players more open to what I was offering.

There was only one problem. Two key people were dead set against getting closer relations to Germany. Those people were the current Prince of Wales and his wife. I personally didn’t understand what the Prince of Wales had against me, even if I understood why his wife hated Germany. I knew a happy wife mean happy life, but did that really apply to the playboy that the Prince of Wales was? With how many bastard children he given birth to? That honestly didn’t make sense to me.

As for the Prince of Wales’ first-born son, Prince Albert Victor the current Duke of Clarence and Avondale? Oh boy that guy was a strange one. He was also was one the reasons I was here in the British Isles. He was getting married to Mary of Teck as I knew her although that wasn’t the name she was using at the moment. I had pushed for Albert Victor marrying my “younger sister” Princess Margaret, joining Queen Victoria in that push. That one had fell flat and when nowhere. He ended up deciding to marry Mary of Teck.

The reason I say he was a strange one is because as far as I could tell the man was a gay as a three dollar bill. It seemed like he might had been caught up in the infamous Cleveland Street Scandal from a few years back. Its possible others high end aristocrats might been caught up in that scandal, but from the way it was reported on it seemed that Prince Albert Victor might been one of the people who were caught up but let go. I know from the talks with Queen Victoria seem to think that he was gay as well.

Further I was thankful that Eddy had rejected the offer to marry my younger sister. It was also fairly likely he had some kind of VD, well base on my meetings with the man. Granted you wouldn’t notice it if you didn’t know what to look for, but after being through the STD briefing as many times as I when through when I was in the US Army two centuries from now, I knew what to look for. My hunch was Eddy had The Clap. To be honest if he did, I would feel sorry for Mary, but such was life.

That said I was having a hard time getting a read on how Eddy viewed things in the geopolitical world that I seemed to live in anymore. He honestly didn’t come off as the sharpest tool in the shed. Mary on the other hand seemed like someone with a first-rate mind and someone I should court as an ally as I wanted to keep the British on my side for as long as possible.

At the moment I was enjoying the pre-wedding party for the wedding which was two days from now. I know I had scored some brownie points with Queen Victoria when I informed that I was awarding her the Order of the Black Eagle the highest honor I could give as the King of Prussia. I knew I needed a national German order but I haven’t figured that out how to form that yet. Yet for Victoria the best way to get her support was give titles and honors on her. It was why I gave her the honor.

Victoria wasn’t the only one getting honors from me during this trip to the British Isles. I think the most epic moment was when I gave Alexandra, the current Princess of Wales Order of Louise. The look on her face was priceless. That said I had to make an effort to get her and her husband to be less hostile to my nation, if that meant a few medals and an honest effort than so be it. Others were being given awards but between the reactions of Victoria and Alexandra were the best. With Victoria I could tell she was honestly delighted with the news I gave her. Alexandra looked like she wanted to kill me.

Everything is Political Pt I

Kiel
Naval Headquarters
September 30 1892

This was something of an odd moment for me. I was wearing my naval uniform which frankly I didn’t wear all that often. To put it bluntly I hated the sea. I don’t know if this hate of the sea stemmed from my fear of drowning or the fact I really didn’t like travelling by sea, but I hated the sea. I would tip my hat to those men that loved to be on the sea, but that life wasn’t for me.

I knew however control of the sea was critical for the long term survivable of my empire. Every nation that had lost control of the sea ended up losing the war they were fighting. Granted Napoleon did better than most but he still lost even if he did drag it out. This was one of the reasons I was here in my naval uniform. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s book the Influence of Sea Power was making the rounds and was causing a fair bit of debate. Plus with his follow on The Influence of Sea Power Upon the French Revolution and Empire having come out this year, I decided I needed to set the mission for my naval now and stop the brewing fight between various factions within my navy.

Personally, I had read Mahan’s first book before I ended up here in 19th century Germany. I thought there were some issues with it, but that’s with hindsight and having seen the naval wars of the 20th century. That was something Mahan didn’t have. But here I read both of the Mahan’s books in the here and now. Granted the German translated version of the second was still not out yet, but given I could read English, along with German and Spanish I when it ahead and read the English version. Now it was time to get this under control before it got out of hand which was not something I could afford.

The reason no one batted an eye I had read Mahan’s second book in English was because of the fact I was known for eating books like they were nothing. Well not literally eating them, but still I would normally read three to four books per week on a host of topics. The subjects ranged from history to physicist and everything in between. Some were fun reads; others where be trying to stay abreast of the tech that was going on in the world.

In this room were a number of admirals and the senior captains of my navy. Standing next to me was my hand pick admiral, Friedrich von Hollmann. He was the only full admiral within the German Navy at the moment as given the size of said navy there was no reason to have more than one at the moment. Hell, there were only three Vizeadmirals. The bulk of the flags in the navy were Konteradmiral in rank and even then, there weren’t that many of them.

One person in the room who I had been keeping a close eye on was Kapitän zur See Alfred Tirpitz. He hadn’t been granted the von yet, and it was possible he wouldn’t be given it here. The man was too must of a loose cannon IMO. He was currently in command of the SMS Prinzess Wilhelm. Granted it was one of the newest ships in the fleet, but as much as it pained me to admit it, he was a good officer at this level.

To say there was a lively debate on going would be an understatement. Finally through after a while I had enough and I simply picked cleared my throat. That got everyone to shut up. I then walked to the chalkboard. “Gentlemen, this is not simply a question of military power.” I wrote for simple digits on the board. “Anyone care to guess what these numbers mean?”

It was my “Brother” Prince Henry who spoke first, “Copenhagen.” He simply said. Indeed I had written 1801 on the chalkboard. In my time here I had gotten to know Prince Henry fairly well. He was a good naval officer and for the most part I agree with him on most issues. Honestly, he was something of a likable guy and we got along fairly well. Currently in the event of anything happening to me he was set up to take over as regent for my oldest.

“Right. The British when into Copenhagen and simply stole the Danish fleet.” I said turning back so I can see my naval officers. “Why? The Danish weren’t at war with the British, but still the British attack them. So why?”

Again, it was Prince Henry who was one of the youngest Kapitän zur See in the navy at this point that spoke first. “Because the League of Armed Neutrality was a threat to them as it cut them off from key resources they needed from the Baltic regions.” In truth I had game plan this with him a bit.

“Correct.” I said. Turning back around, I wrote a bit more on the chalkboard. “What do these to nations have in common?”

This time Kapitän zur See Felix von Bendemann spoke first, “One is the historical enemy of the British. Other is the only nation to ever made the British and French into allies.”

I looked at von Bendemann. I wasn’t sure what to make of the man from the reports I seen on him. But he was slated to be the plankowner captain of one of the new Brandenburg once it was ready to be taken over by the fleet. “Also correct. Now answer me this, who our the most likely foes we will face in the next European war?”

This time it was my hand-picked Admiral spoke. “It’s the French and Russians.”

“Also correct. Now let this sink in. The British have adopted the two-power standard. Those two powers are the French and Russians. Both who publicly stated they want to challenge British naval power in various ways.” The French with their plans to build a battlefleet to match what the British were doing via their Naval Defense Act of 1889. The British were freaking out over the newly launched Russian armored cruiser Rurik. Hell, they were looking at a whole class of cruisers just to counter her as she had spooked the British that badly.

With a moment of silence over, “The British are open to allowing, key word there allowing, us to build up a small battleline, well small to them, to counter the Russians and the French.” I had already reached a gentlemen’s agreement with the British over the issue. We still have to nail down the numbers a little bit more but they were willing to accept what I had put forward. The agreement through was largely in place at the moment.

“If there is any officer here who cannot agree to the stated naval goals as set for in the coming budget, then I say this. Resign your commission and become a politician. Otherwise work to achieving what you can with what you have.” I said firmly. “If you wish to do so feel free to use my writing desk, but this public debate you have been having over the future of the navy is over as of now.”

Everything is Political Pt II

Friedrichsruh
Bismarck’s Estate
November 3 1892

“Herr General it’s a pleasure as always.” Bismarck had said to General der Kavallerie Alfred von Waldersee. A man who had just been forced into retirement by the reforms that the current German Emperor was putting into place within the military.

“Herr Bismarck I wished we would be visiting under better circumstances.” The retired general said who looked out of place in his suit that he was now wearing. He had been forced out over the issue of the increase training regiment that Wilhelm II was putting in for both enlisted men and officers. That was cutting into the officers had time to perform gentlemen duties and drink. Even through the standards weren’t that much, to von Waldersee it was too much. When he was refused the Kaiser had made it clear he had retired. With the fact the Kaiser had his hand-picked people in higher office within the German military machine meant he had no recourse but to accept retirement. But that didn’t mean he would through. It had been a hard blow when he had been denied the chance to become the Chief of the General Staff, but this was worse.

“Agreed Herr General.” Bismarck said looking out to the forest from his drawing room. Bismarck then sigh, “I thought I had sidelined that bitch Victoria and showed Wilhelm the true ways of a Prussian.” Empress Dowager Victoria was most likely the most hated person within the German Court. She was too British.

“Its possible you did Herr Bismarck. But ever sense that carriage accident he has become a different man. At one point I thought that Wilhelm was my friend. Now through he is a baston of liberalism that is hell bent on becoming a lap dog for the British. Further he leans on that bitch way too much.”

“I don’t understand how one accident could change a man in such a way, yet here we are. We are going to have to save Germany from the madness that Wilhelm is taking it. I must know do I have your support to save Germany from Wilhelm.”

“You else is with you?”

“Luitpold,” was the name Bismarck started with. The Bavarians hadn’t been happy with the noise coming out of Wilhelm about a more uniformed Imperial Germany. Even through Wilhelm hadn’t come out in said it, Luitpold and his son Ludwig both believed that Wilhelm wanted to strip Bavaria of its special rights that it had secured for itself in 1871.

There were other names spoken by Bismarck. A sizable chunk of the Junkers Class were being unnerved by the reforms that Wilhelm was pushing through. They further didn’t like the fact he was ending the attempts at colonizing Posen and instead he focusing on colonizing the colonies in Africa and Pacific. Even worse he had put out multiple olive branches to the Poles in Posen, and the Poles were taking them up. Frankly the list when on.

“You have my support. On you command I will take over the army from these sick officers and return it to the greatness of the Prussian Army.” von Waldersee told Bismarck.

The 19 Days Pt I

Near Hechingen
Burg Hohenzollern
December 31 1892

Even with the fire roaring in my study I could feel the ice in my veins after that report I had just been handed by my trusted aide. “Get me my wife and mother. And hurry we don’t have much time.” I said.

“Yes, your majesty.”

At that I got up and walked over to my firearms cabinet and pulled out my key to unlock it. I know I had raised a few eyebrows with my gun safety steps I took. Then again, I truly believed you had to respect your firearms or they would take your life in a blink of an eye. Given how many children I had I wasn’t about to allow them to shoot themselves by mistake. I seen too many stories about that. Hell, I had only just started to teach junior how to shoot and he 10. Even then I was only allowing him to use a single shot 22 that I had customed made for him.

Once by gun cabinet was open, I pulled out an 1862 Colt Police Revolver and a Smith & Wesson Model 2 and placed them on the table. Then I when back and pulled out ammo for both of them. My Model 2 was the .38 S&W variant of the design, but still single action. I really didn’t like double action triggers at the moment so all my revolvers were single action only. Just as I was getting my ammo on the table my wife and mother walked in. Dona saw the guns and spoke first, “Wilhelm what is going on?” Vicky nodded in agreement with that question.

“Mother, I need you to leave with me, now. And I mean now and go visit grandmother in Britain for at least a month once we break apart. I will send for you when it’s safe to return.”

“WHATS GOING ON!?” Vicky screamed.

“There is a coup against me. That’s what going on mother. I can’t guarantee your safety right now. You know how many people are angry with you in the court mother? Plus, I need you to give this letter to grandmother.” I had known this was a possibly after the latest round of reforms I was able to get through a few months ago. I had been seeing too many important people visit Bismarck to be ok with it. I had people looking into it, but they moved before I could nail their asses to the wall for their treason they were now committing.

At that I handed Vicky a letter I had written in the event this happened. It seemed that in Berlin Bismarck had announced that I had fallen ill and that a regent had been named to rule while I recovered. That regent was Bismarck. Which was not at all what I had set up in the event something did happen to me. If anything did happen my regent was to be Prince Henry, my younger Brother.

They were moving fast trying to get things in place. Chancellor von Boeitticher had been dismissed by Bismarck and had been replaced by his son Herbert. Alfred von Waldersee had been spotted in uniform in Berlin on the reports I had so far. So, he was neck deep in this mess. What his role was I didn’t know but it couldn’t be good. Yet they seem to be limited to Berlin at the moment, but that was likely to change and quickly. I knew they would want to get me before I could escape them.

“Dona, I want you to watch the kids for me and keep them safe. I’m not letting this stand.” I said as I focused on loading my Colt revolver. It might been a cap and ball revolver but unlike the Smith & Wesson I could safety load all five rounds into it.

“Wilhelm what are you going to do.” Vicky asked me. You could hear the worry in her voice.

“Stop them.” I said as I loaded the last of the paper cartridge into the Colt. Just then my aide-de-camp Oberleutnant Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck came in, “Sir we are ready to move.”

At that I walked over to Dona and pulled her in for a deep soul crushing kiss. “I love you but I got to leave now.” I said as I broke away from her. “Mother come with me.” I said with my back to her as I picked up the revolvers and ammo off the table and putting them in my pockets. With that I followed Lettow-Vorbeck and hoped my mother was following me. I could hear Dona crying as I left the room.

<*>

Two Hours Later

I was sitting on the couch watching my children play as I was trying to keep it together. After that crying bout I brought myself back together and when back to watching the children. I couldn’t let myself think about the danger to the love of my life as he when off and did what he was about to do. I told the children that were old enough that dad had to take care of something and I didn’t know when he would be back. Thankfully they hadn’t asked why Vicky wasn’t here anymore doing what every grandmother does best.

As I was getting ready to tell the children it was time for dinner when I heard screaming. I knew this was what Wilhelm had been trying to escape. I cleared my throat, “Children get behind me! NOW!” That got all the older children behind me and the two oldest picked up the crawling toddlers to get them behind me. My four babies were with our trusted nanny at the moment.

Not even a moment later the door opened with a bang and three men in uniform, and senior rank entered the room. The leader boomed, “Where is the Kaiser?”

“He is gone.” I answered simply but with grace.

That officer looked pissed. “You are under our protection now.” As he was clearing reaching for anything to make up for the fact the person he was to secure was missing.

I just cocked by head to the side, “You do know Wilhelm is going to find the tallest oak tree in all of Germany and hang you from it? Right?” I know some of Wilhelm’s American personally had rubbed off on me. But knowing him he would be in the mood to hang the whole lot of people. And you could see how pissed off that officer was when I said it.

The 19 Days Pt II

Ludwigsburg, German Empire, Kingdom of Württemberg
Ludwigsburg Palace
December 31 1892

King William had been enjoying the end of the year till about noon today. That was when he received word that Kaiser Wilhelm had been declared medically unfit to rule and Otto von Bismarck had been named as regent. Bismarck stated that Wilhelm’s amnesia had returned and he was in a worse state than after the carriage accident he suffered over four years ago. Somehow William doubted that. Bismarck was moving too fast for his liking. He had dismissed a number of key appointments that Wilhelm had made to ruled over Germany. Further the Bavarians were a little too supporting for something that only was to happened last night if Bismarck was to believed.

He had sent a team travel to Burg Hohenzollern to find out what was going on. That was a mystery to William. He knew that Wilhelm and his massive family was staying there, and after the holidays were over Wilhelm had set up a meeting with him and Grand Duke Frederick of Baden about something. Wilhelm had been somewhat coy on what the meeting was about, but both he and Frederick had a guess. Wilhelm was building support for a constitutional convention to reform the 1871 Constitution which had been basically a carbon copy of an agreement for the North German Confederation. Only he hadn’t come out and say that.

So far news of the events was still flowing in, but William was honestly starting to believe this was a coup instead of a legal regency as Bismarck was claiming. A few of the minor states in Thuringia had declared their support for Bismarck and his government along with the Bavarians. All the other key royal players in the German government hadn’t spoken. William himself was waiting to hear back from the people he had sent to Burg Hohenzollern before issuing a statement.

“Your majesty, Kaiser Wilhelm is here to see you.” The nervous butler said as he entered the study that William was using at the moment.

That got William ’ attention. “Show him in.”

A few moments later Kaiser Wilhelm with a junior officer entered the room. Wilhelm himself was wearing the winter uniform of the German Army, but instead of his normal shoulder strap rank marking him as the Kaiser he was wear those of an Oberst in the infantry. Also, a lot of the medals that the Kaiser normally wore were nowhere to be found on this uniform. The face through was the giveaway, that he was the Kaiser. “Your majesty.” William said as he bowed.

“Are you part of this madness William.” I asked him. I was pissed, and was questioning who I could trust at the moment. I had my hand in my pocket resting on my Colt. I had killed before, granted that had been in a war zone, but I was ready to do it again if I had to.

“No, your majesty I am not.”

I simply nodded as I when to the fire to warm up. William was a good man but I wouldn’t call him a friend like I would call some of the others German royally. He however wasn’t a foe like Luitpold was either. “Who has come out in support in Bismarck and his coup William. I been moving for the past few hours and hadn’t had the time to keep up with what’s going on in Berlin.”

At that point William explained what had been coming across the telegraph. I was deep in thought. I was hoping mad at this point and getting madder by the hour. But my mind was still working. Once William finished, I didn’t say anything for a moment, “Send a messenger for General Gottlieb von Haeseler.” I said.

Haeseler was commander of VI Army Inspectorate at Stuttgart. Haeseler was one of the more senior generals who had generally accepted my ideas well about reforms within the army well. Granted he did say they need further refinement but he was willing to work with them. From what I could tell he had the respect of his troops.

“Further we are going to take about your place in the new Germany I’m going to create.” I stated. “Loyally will have its rewards which is more than Bismarck will ever give you.”

Just as I spoke, “Sirs, three armed officers are coming.”

“GODDAMN IT!” I was pissed. “Did you betray me William?” As I pulled out my revolver and pulled the hammer back.

“God no.”

“Then you can help.” I said I explain my plan.

A few minutes later William was standing in a hallway. I held a pair of revolvers with one in each hand. Lettow-Vorbeck was also holding a pair of revolvers. We were hidden by the doors. William spoke, “What is the meaning of this?” He all but yelled at the officers who were marching down at him.

“We know you sent a messenger to Burg Hohenzollern.” The senior officer said, “We believe the Kaiser came here because of that. We want to know where he is as he is not well.”

Just as he said that he cleared the doors. I leaned in and closed the door with my shoulder as I raised up my arms. “You were saying!” I had gone into akimbo stance. Lettow-Vorbeck had followed by lead. “Now drop your weapons.” As I pulled back the hammers on my revolvers. Granted it wasn’t the easiest thing to do with my one hand but I managed.

Those officers were shocked. But they knew we had the drop on them and would likely lose their lives if they tried to fight it out. They dropped their weapons. “Kick them away.” I said. They when about doing that. Once that was done, “William, tie them up.” Both me and Lettow-Vorbeck were keeping our weapons trained on them.

It took a few minutes but William had them tied up. I put one of my revolvers on safety cock then put it back into my pocket as we walked to a room, we could use to hold them. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. Once they were in their chairs I spoke, “Who else is in this coup.”

“What coup.” The senior officer said who was a general I was trying to sideline as he still believed this was 1815 not 1892.

The sound of the wind could be heard as I brought up and down my arm with my pistol in it. Then you could hear the thud of it making contact with the general’s face. “When you speak to your monarch you say sir.” I was pissed. I also knew I was playing off Captain Speirs clip in Band of Brothers. Blood flew from his mouth.

I then pulled back the hammer one handed and pointed my revolver at his head, “Now talk while you still can. I’m not in the mood to play games.” I said as I could smell it as he pissed him.

1892 End of Year Update

Domestic

Prior to Bismarck’s coup there was nothing really worth nothing in the Domestic front. The Kaiser was only pushing minor reforms as he was letting Germany catch his breath for what he was planning next. This would been a Constitutional Convention to rework the 1871 Constitution. He was still planning for that to be a few years out as he was trying to get his ducks all in arow before doing it. But Bismarck and his plotters thought Wilhelm was looking to do this a lot sooner than he was. Its why they launched when they did.

Changes Within Government Personal

I’m not covering everything here. But there is a lot of disputed being put aside everything at the end of the year.

Newly Signed Treaties

No new treaties have been signed between Germany and other nations. That said an unofficial naval agreement was made between Berlin and London. This agreement would have some effects on how fast the German Navy could grow but it was what the Kaiser wanted.

Foreign Regions (Note, the news of the coup hasn’t made it out of Germany yet.)

USA

Stable

Britain

Improving

France

Slightly Improving, but still fairly poor over all

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Decreasing

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Beowulf Class Coastal Defense Ship

5,000 tons Standard Load, 4 x 24 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 14 kts, well armored/Harvey Armor

2 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Dona is currently being held as a prisoner at Burg Hohenzollern, which is putting a great deal of stress on her. Her pregnancy from early in the year has made her infertile as well. Wilhelm is psychically fine, but currently madder than a one leg man in an ass kicking contest.

The 19 Days Pt III

Frankfurt
Römer
January 7 1893

Germany on the whole was on the edge. Bismarck’s moves had come out in the past few days. Many were demanding to see Wilhelm for themselves. Protest have started in a number of cities across the nation. Paul Singer the leader of the SPD had publicly stated that there was a general strike on and many trade unionists had followed his lead. He had stated unless they had orders from Kaiser Wilhelm himself they weren’t to help Bismarck’s government. This had earned Singer to join a number of well-known Germans to be in prisons as Bismarck was trying to get a hold of the power of Germany at the moment.

Starting yesterday there had been rumors that Wilhelm was on the run from Bismarck. This had only added fuel on to the fire that Bismarck had launched a putsch against Wilhelm. It wasn’t being help by matters that both the Kings of Württemberg and Saxony were refusing to support Bismarck till they had personally spoken with Wilhelm himself. The Bavarians through had thrown their lot in with Bismarck full force. This was creating problems with the minor royals within Germany. A small number supported Bismarck and the Bavarians, the vast majority had followed the lead of Württemberg and Saxony wanting to meet with Wilhelm first.

I was moved through the crowd of people as best I could. However, people were starting to figure out it was me. Finally got where I wanted to be and climbed up on the fountain in front of Römer. “People of Germany!” I called out at the top of my lungs. It was at that point the four junior officers with me brought out the modified shotguns they had been carrying. They were my personal body guard at the moment and those shotguns had been modified to be carried under their coats.

“Your Kaiser is very much alive and well and fit to rule!” I had chosen to go public here in Frankfurt for a host of reasons. I could see people were turning to see who was screaming at the top of their lungs which I was. “I was removed from power by Bismarck because he fears not me but you. I rule for all of Germany not just the powerful, not just the Junkers.” I said.

Before going public I had lined up the supports of both Württemberg and Saxony before doing this. I also had been in contact with key officers within the army. I had their support I just have told them don’t move before I did. I was making my move now, I was pushing all in. “Bismarck fears you because he knows your strengths and your power. He wants to keep you under the thumb the system that has always been, instead of the new order I have been working to create. Those who support me, and a new GERMANY,” I was really forcing that to make it clear what I meant, “Follow me as I retake my capital and bring a new dawn to Germany. Long live Germany!” I said. There was a cheer going out a cross the crowd of people who were in ear shot.

I hoped off the fountain and called out, “FOLLOW ME!”

The 19 Days Pt IV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
January 14 1893

Otto von Bismarck looked at his son as he was passed out in a chair with a bottle of wine in his hands. Otto didn’t want admit it but naming Herbert as his chancellor was a mistake. He had done nothing but drink since news of Wilhelm turning up in Frankfurt came in on the 8th. That was time he should had been using to secure their position and make it impossible for Wilhelm to rule Prussia. If it wasn’t for the slight fall and raise of Herbert’s chest you would think he was dead given how still he was. Standing next to Bismarck was General der Kavallerie Alfred von Waldersee.

“The Gardekorps is taking up positions around the city to block escape.” The sounds of protest outside could be heard through, as news of Wilhelm being the victim putsch had spread through the city. Wilhelm was populator with the citizens of Berlin so there were protest in the streets denouncing the Bismarck government. The city police had largely refused orders from Bismarck since the 10th as all the information filler in. As such the protest was running ramp it in the city. And they seemed to be getting worse by the hour. Only the loyal guard Bismarck had guarding this building was likely the only thing keeping it from being stormed.

“Why are they doing that?” Bismarck asked, but already feared the answer.

“Because they are to make sure you and your ilk don’t escape.” This did not come from von Waldersee but from Generaloberst Julius von Verdy du Vernois. Bismarck had removed from the position Chief of the General Staff about two weeks ago and replaced him with von Waldersee. Verdy was in full uniform and it showed.

“You don’t have any position here anymore.” Bismarck all but yelled. “Further how did you get in here?”

Waldersee was looking white as a ghost, but Bismarck was refusing to accept fact. “Simple your guards let me in. As to what being me here, Wilhelm sent me. He asked me to ask you to surrender, and he might be willing to spare your lives. But if he has to take this palace back himself? He said he will put up a black flag and kill all of you.”

The guards knew the score, but for various reasons had stayed. When von Verdy showed up and promise them they would live if they let him through, they were all too happy to allow it.

“Wilhelm is in Potsdam, now Otto.” Verdy told Bismarck. “The army has returned to reporting to me instead of Waldersee. Its all over now. Surrender and you might live.” Verdy didn’t know if Wilhelm would spare their lives or not through. When he met with Wilhelm in Potsdam a few hours ago you feel the anger coming off Wilhelm. Yet in the same breath you see he was calm and thinking with a clear head. It was honestly scared Verdy and he almost felt pity for Bismarck and those who supported him. Almost.

“It’s not over! I have to save Prussia!” Otto said loudly. It was at this point Bismarck noticed that von Waldersee had when over to where Herbert was and took the bottle of wine out of his son’s hand and took a swig.

Bismarck then walked over to the window and saw the mass protest against him. He finally admitted what his mind had known for a few days. He then pulled out pocket revolver and placed against his temple and pulled the trigger. His body then collapsed to the floor.

With that von Verdy looked over to von Waldersee who was taking a long swig from that bottle of wine. “Are you joining Bismarck, or you going to jail?”

It took a moment, but then von Waldersee head lowered. “I will take the honor of the firing squad.” Then he killed the bottle of wine. “History will prove I was right through.” Waldersee said as he started to walk over to where von Verdy stood.

The 19 Days Pt V

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 8 2020

Louis was typing away against his desk as Ph.D. Candidate Vogel when on talking about the 19 Days as this event had become known in history. Even in the fairly poorly taught history classes of the public education system of the Freedom Party’s USA would admit the importance of the 19 Days to German and European history. They just failed to inform the students why the 19 Days were important to Germany and Europe or the effects of the events caused by the 19 Days. He knew more than most as his family had illegally kept some pre-Freedom Party written history books. That said there was nothing like learning the subject of someone who had done major work on the subject in her thesis study for her master’s degree.

“The end of the 19 Days was when the Bavarian Army arrested Luitpold and his son Ludwig on the 18th of January with the two being handed over to Wilhelm a few days later. Now there would be a number of arrests following this along with those who when into quiet retirements from public life in the aftermath, but it was Luitpold and Ludwig’s arrest that marked the end of the last remaining threat to Wilhelm reconfirming his control of all of Germany.”

At that Jim asked a question, “What about the circumstances of Otto’s death?” Louis knew what Jim was talking about. King Otto of Bavaria had died the day after Bismarck had killed himself. The circumstances around that death had always been heavily debated within historical circles. The debate ranged from Otto being murdered outright by either Luitpold and/or Ludwig to him falling out of the window in a schizophrenia fit. Both sides seemed to have their own arguments for and against their position and were firmly entrenched in their positions.

“Jim,” Zuzanna started, “Even the Ministry of Education will allow for either circumstance to be taught in schools as the subject is such fiercely debated.” She was trying to side set the issue all together. She had her own theory but she was still performing research into Otto’s death and wasn’t ready to put that theory public at the current moment. Yet a lot of her leads have been running into a major problem, a lot of the primary source material had been destroyed or lost.

Everyone knew that Dona burned the majority of Wilhelm’s personal papers after his dead in (redacted). Outside of his own autobiography that was released a decade after his death and shortly after Dona’s own death, very little remained of Wilhelm’s personal papers. Granted some remained as Dona didn’t get everything, but what remained didn’t touch on this. Further a lot of the papers of the House of Wittelsbach had also been destroyed or lost, which was less well known than Dona burning Wilhelm’s personal papers. Then again, The 19 Days radically changed the House of Wittelsbach.

From what little primary source material Zuzanna had been able to get her hands on, it was clear Wilhelm was pissed, with a capital P. She knew that the aftermath also gave raise to a rumor that had never been confirmed but never been put to bed either. She just hoped that rumor wouldn’t be brought up today as even in 2020 that topic was very sensitive even within Germany. The House of Hohenzollern refused to even talk about that almost 130 years later. That was one of many reasons a lot of people failed in their attempts at writing a biography about Wilhelm the Great as he was known in Germany. There were other names he was known in other nations, well there was a reason Wilhelm’s position in Germany was beyond critical but also complicated given what Germany had become within the world. She believed that this was Wilhelm’s plan but he would also be so very out of place in this Germany that he helped create.

Trying to move things on Zuzanna spoke before anyone could ask more questions, “Even through the work to uncover everyone who had supported Bismarck in this failed putsch was on going, Wilhelm decided to use this as a reason to push through a new constitution of the German Empire. Even through the 1893 Constitution has since been replaced by the 1973 Constitution under the reforms of Wilhelm the Fourth, to understand the current government of Germany one must look back to the 1893 Constitution to understand…”

Reforms Pt I

Potsdam
Sanssouci
April 29 1893

The past few months had been very tiring. Some of the things I done had left me conflicted afterwards but there is one thing I would put even above Germany. That was my family. I know I was slowly becoming more German as time moved forward, but down in the American South you never fucked with a man’s family. Never. If you did cross that line, lord help you, because the man of the family you mess with would have you begging for a bullet by the time, he was finished with you. That part hadn’t changed in me yet.

However, I push those thoughts out of my mind. I was hosting the majority of the royal houses of Germany here right now along with various ministers of their governments. The few heads of royal houses that were not here right now were currently sitting in prison cells. Well not proper prison cells as I would call it, but for a royal it was. The two biggest names were Luitpold and Ludwig who were sitting in those prison cells. But the few others were minor royals that came out the mess of states that came out of the Thuringia region of Germany.

Now that’s not saying the Bavarians didn’t have a small delegation here. Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was the head of the Bavarian delegation but he and everyone in that delegation knew Bavaria was in a world of shit. I had been a day away from ordering the German Army into Bavaria as both Luitpold and Ludwig were still trying to put up a fight against my power. Even though they claimed they didn’t murder Otto I was under the belief that they had done so. This was to clear a path to forming a independent Bavaria as an independent state free from my rule.

I knew that both Luitpold and Ludwig had sent massagers to Vienna begging for the support of Franz Joseph, but I was moving faster than they were. They didn’t understand the OODA Loop and I was pushing faster and faster reaction times from everyone including myself. Its why the Bavarian Army munity against their monarch, they hadn’t heard back from Franz Joseph and didn’t know when they would hear back and my army was massing on the border. They knew if it crossed the border they would stand a chance.

This had led to Leopold, Prinz von Bayern to be named the current regent of Bavaria. He however was going to be hard press to give anything more than token resistance to what I was pushing here. Based on my talks with him earlier before this started, he knew it as well. What I was going for was simple, a new constitution. I had been planning to start this push far later than this, but what Bismarck did push this to the forefront and gave me a lot of political capital to use in getting what I wanted.

Even through I was pushing for a new constitution I needed to get the other member states to agree to it. I however was messing around with the minor nobles right now. Instead I was aiming at getting two key states within Germany onboard for what I was pushing. Even through I had talked with both kings before today about it, today was the point I was going to lay all my cards on the table to get them on board for the reforms I was pushing.

I was already planning to reward both Könige Albert and William for their loyally during The 19 Days. I would however need to go beyond a reward to get them on board for the massive reforms I was pushing. It was almost eleven at night when I finally got the two of them alone so I could talk to them. With the normal greetings and everything out of the way I got into the brass tacks of what I was wanting to go after here. As I laid it out, I could see they really didn’t want to go along with some of this. That said they were asking intelligence questions and not out right shooting down my goals. I took that as a win in of itself.

It was around one in the morning I finally got into why they should support me and reduce their own power. “I know I’m asking a lot from both of you. It you agree to support me in this there will be rewards for the both of you. William the majority of Hohenzollernsche Lande will be turned over to your Kingdom to rule. Some minor areas would stay under Prussia’s rule but over 98% of Hohenzollernsche Lande will become part of Württemberg.” You could see William’s eyes light up at that offer.

I turned to Albert, “Some of the minor Fürstentümer along with Saxe-Altenburg and a small piece of Prussian land would be granted to Saxony to rule. Like with Hohenzollernsche Lande some areas will be carved out for those who rebelled again me to have a small estate. And I do mean small.” My plan was basically take their castle or house and call that the border of their new state with them having no voice in the government, they would just be there. In time they most likely get tired of that state of affairs and allow themselves to be taken over by Saxony. For now through it would work.

“Now gentlemen do we have an agreement?” If I got both Albert and William behind me I would be the house that minor noble who didn’t already support me would fall in line damn quickly if they came out for the reforms this constitution was promising to bring.

Reforms Pt II

Potsdam
Sanssouci
May 7 1893

Even through this was a German affair there were a number of ambassadors here. There were also some other royals from around Europe attending this meeting. Some I had personally invited here others had come on their own accord. Then again, this meeting would really set the course for Germany for at least a generation if not more. So, everyone wanted to influence it to benefit them. I think most didn’t understand with the agreement I had with both Albert and William the major points had been agreed to, with the minor points being worked out. Even through we had this agreement we had to allow things play out to some degree.

I had Dona by my side. Frankly I didn’t want her out of my sight again, not after what happened. I knew she wasn’t pleased how I handed that bit of the coup against me. Yet there were some lines that were not crossed. One of those lines you never crossed was you never put your hands on a woman. That officer was now dead and had his ashes spread across the North Sea. That was one thing I had made clear all those who had died and had been directly linked to the Bismarck plot were not to be buried in German soil.

As music flowed as the evening when on I saw one of the royals, I had asked to be here walking up to me, “Karl its so good of you to come. Walk with us.” I knew he had just reached Potsdam as his unit had been in Bosnia when I sent word that I wished to see him.

The Austro-Hungarian Captain took a flanking position behind me as we left the room to head out to the garden area. Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria was about a decade younger than myself, and given I was only 35 meant he was very young at only 25 and would be 26 by the end of the year. As we entered the garden area of the palace grounds he finally spoke, “Your majesty I’m wondering why did you send for me.”

“Ah right to the point. I have to respect that.” I replied. I then turned around and Dona turned with me, “It’s simple really. I plan to elevate Elsaß-Lothringen from its status as an Imperial Territory to that of a Grand Duchy. I need a man to lead this new Grand Duchy, and I wish this man to be you.”

Elsaß-Lothringen had remained loyal during the 19 Days as some where calling it now. I was going to reward them for that. Given the history of the region I figure I should try to get someone out of the cluster fuck that was the House of Habsburg-Lorraine to lead it. I had briefly thought about giving it to my daughter in all but name Elisabeth. I did love Elisabeth as a daughter even through she wasn’t my child. She however, wasn’t ready to rule nor would it look good to start off a new Grand Duchy under a regent.

After talking with Dona and a few others I decided to reach out to Karl. I had already reached out to Franz Joseph about this. I could tell he was pissed that the coup failed even if he didn’t like how it was done. He might had been fearful the same thing would happen to him, but he hated how liberal I was becoming and turning Germany into a liberal state, no matter how slowly I was doing before the coup. Yet given the geopolitical position he had no choice but to remain in an alliance with my nation. As such he begrudging gave his blessing for Karl to being named as the Grand Duke of Elsaß-Lothringen and form a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Both me and Dona could see he was shocked by the offer and Dona was the first to speak, “Karl you are a good man, otherwise we wouldn’t be asking you this. Yes, it is a lot to ask, but both myself and Wilhelm believe you can do this.”

“I’m unmarried.” Karl started.

I waved my hand, “Your still young. I’m sure you can find a nice woman to marry you even if its unequal marriage.” There were rumors going around the Franz Ferdinand was seeing Sophie Chotek. Granted Karl was older than most royals at this point but at 25 he still had more than enough time to take a wife and have an heir or two.

“The people don’t know me in Elsaß-Lothringen.” Karl kept going.

Dona took back over, “You will have time to build up a relationship with the people of Elsass-Lothringen. We aren’t planning the coronation till end of the year or early next year at the moment.” Honestly, we wanted to induce him to some of the key people from the region who were here before we sent him there to do public events and build up his reputation in the area before naming him as the Grand Duke.

The goal was to show the people of Elsaß-Lothringen that it was better to be German Clay than French Dirt. Turning it into a Grand Duchy would allow it equal treatment as all other Germans. Further it would allow a more Elsaß-Lothringen culture to grow, a culture that would me pro-German if done right. I was already planning for a round of infrastructure to be built up to get more people to work. That was across Germany, but I was giving Elsaß-Lothringen a bit more focus than others.

Karl was looking for another reason to throw out why he couldn’t take the job. “My father and Kaiser Franz Joseph need to approve.”

I cocked by head to one side, “You think we would be asking you if we haven’t asked them already?” At that cracked a grin from the look on Karl’s face. “Look Karl we believe you are perfect and want you to have the job.”

Karl was grinning as well. “I’m flattered and honor that you would select me for such an important job. I accept.”

“Wonderful.” Me and Dona said together. At that point we both laugh lightly.

Reforms Pt III

Berlin
Spandau Prison
May 15 1893

I was currently waiting in the warden’s office in the warden’s seat. I had two guards flanking me but given how it was night and there was only a single candle lit it would be easy to miss them. I trusted these guards with my life and to keep my secret of the meeting here. However, I wasn’t taking chances and had a double barrel side by side shot gun that was mounted to the table I was setting at. A pair of 12 gauge shot gun shells would fuck up anyone’s day.

The warden of Spandau brought in the inmate that I had come here to see. Herbert von Bismarck was in shackles at both his ankles and wrist. Many who had followed his father were also in this prison. Only the royals who were prisoners weren’t here in Spandau. Given everything I couldn’t throw them in one of the cells here at Spandau. So as such they were being held in one of my castles but under heavy guard with a battalion from one of my Guard units standing watch over them.

As easy as it would be to pull the trigger and end the life of the man before me, I really didn’t feel like it was worth creating a martyr out of this Bismarck. Then again Herbert hadn’t been allowed to attend the spreading of his father’s ashes out into the North Sea. That’s one thing I was being clear about. Traitors would not be allowed to be buried in German soil. Their ashes were being spread in the North Sea.

“Herbert, you will only give yes and no answers. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, your majesty.” You could hear the defeat in his voice.

“Very well then. If you want to not see your life end at the business end of a rifle you will name and give all the proof against everyone who supported your father. Will you do this?” Work was on going to root out all who had tried and moved against me. I wanted all of the names who had moved against me. The only reason I was here because Herbert had asked to meet with me and he said he was willing to give everyone up. I had my doubts he could, but if had that kind of dirt it would be worth spearing his life.

“Yes, your majesty.” You could hear it in his voice, he was a broken man.

“Very well, tomorrow when you speak with the senior officer who is running the investigation you will give him everything. If he informs me that it checks out and can be proven I will grant you clemency for your crimes. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Very well then.” I said. The I yelled out, “Guards take him back to his cell.”

Reforms Pt IV

Potsdam
Sanssouci
May 23 1893

The final vote of the day had just been held. The vote itself was on where the seat of the new Imperial Supreme Court would be at. Even through I knew before hand it would end up in Ulm, I had to make it look like the smaller voices here had a say in it. Then again, no other city had been put up once Ulm had come up for the seat of the newest branch of the Imperial Government. With the backing of the two other kingdoms that matter in the form of Württemberg and Saxony the other minor royals fell in line and voted with the Big Three as we were known at this point.

Bavaria was following our lead and not pushing back in anyway. Then again, I had cut my own deal with Prince Regent Leopold. He agreed to follow the lead of me, and the other two kingdoms no questions asked. And I meant none. In return he would become the new king of Bavaria and further Bavaria would lose no territory in this mess to either Württemberg or Saxony. They were losing a lot of their freedoms they had over the other states of the Empire, but there would be no territorial losses for them. Given I had toyed with the idea of breaking Bavaria up into smaller states within the Empire, they were coming out this fairly well. To get that through they had to suck it up and agree to everything put forward.

With the vote over, I banged by gavel to end the day. Much more work would need to be done in the coming days. Not just only on the Imperial Court System that was forming up, but on the three different pieces of the legislature along with the role of the different ministries that were being formed here. Most of this work was something I could get lost in if I wasn’t careful as I liked to get into the weeds sometimes, but in point a lot of the major points that were left were the finer details now.

I was working to build an empire that would stand the test of time. That wasn’t easy but I was working on it. With everyone getting up and leaving I got up myself and spent a few minutes speaking with various royals or others in their delegations. However, looking at my wrist watch I saw I had appointment I needed to keep. So I started making my way to the room I had the appointment set up for.

A few minutes later I entered the room and saw my “mother” and the British Ambassador to my nation talking. Vicky had just returned from London a few days ago after spend a week with her mother. I knew Queen Victoria was please with the liberalism I was bring to Germany. It was in keeping with the dreams of her dead husband Albert. This was making her very supportive of Germany under my leadership. Given I had built up a good relationship with her since landing back in here it was helping me achieve my goals. Only if the poor fools knew I was playing them.

Yet with keeping the con I kept my face all smiles as I greeted the both of them. With the greetings over I cut right to the chase, “Ambassador Malet, I was wondering if her majesty’s government would help me with a problem.” Switching to English instead of the German I had been speaking all day.

I honestly like Malet had had built up a good relation with the man. We were on very friendly terms; however, a game was still afoot. “What problem would this be your majesty as you have more than one.”

We both laugh at that one. “Quiet right old chap. The problem I speak of, is the royals who rebelled against me. I do not wish for these men to enjoy their retirement in my empire. I was hoping I could possible rent an island from your government in the Pacific somewhere so these men can enjoy their retirement.” A number of problems since this mess had started have been taken care of, but others were still being worked on.

Even through their trials hadn’t been held yet, I was already planning on exiling them. All of them. The minor kingdoms would be such that it would be a large house with no power. Bavaria would still have some weight behind it after this, but it would lose a lot of the freedoms it had been able to secure itself when Bismarck formed the German Empire with the might of the Prussian Army. Then again given how I was doing this I was hoping more people here in Germany would view themselves as Germans instead of Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, and so on. I needed to unite the Empire for the test to come. These fucks through needed a nice sandy beach somewhere to spend the rest of their days through. I was hoping to work a deal out with the British for that as no one in Europe wanted them at this point.

The Start of the First Golden Age of Germany

Potsdam
Sanssouci
June 25 1893

I rolled the Cuban Cigar in my fingers as rolled it. I have only smoked three cigars since landing in this body that I now had control of. Each time it was for the birth of my beautiful children. This time through it was for something different, but possibly even more important than even my wonderful children. Its was possible this would well outlive even my youngest which was really saying something. Then again it wasn’t every day a nation signs and brings in force a new constitution. Yeah that’s what happened today when the new constitution was signed by all of the royal houses of Germany. Even those that had new heads of their house signed it.

Taking my guillotine cutter, I lopped off the end of the cigar. I kept a humidor partly filled with cigars even through I only rarely smoked them. I found that I would need them when I had to entertain someone. As such I also had a smoking jacket which I rarely wore, but kept it for when I needed it. It was one of those things I had to come understand as I trimmed things to free up more money for other things. You needed to be able to maintain the position people think you have if you wanted them to work with you. Which was why I had any of this stuff otherwise I would had sold it and used the money to put into building up tech. Then again some of my patents were paying off quiet nicely right now.

With my cigar in my mouth my butler lit one of the Zippo lighters that I had created. Granted this was a presentation model with the case being solid silver and having the crest of the German Empire cared on it. Turning the cigar to get an even light on the cigar I was thinking about the fact I owned the patent to the Zippo lighters and they were making a nice profit as the production line was ramping up. The normal ones through were solid brass cases instead of the silver one that my butler had in his hand. Still they were very populator with people and the factory was working two shifts trying to keep up with world wide demand for the lighters.

Once lit, I butler pulled away the lighter and put beside me. He then popped the cap on a liter of nice Schwarzbier and started to pour it for me in a glass. Once he was finished, I spoke after letting out the puff I had, “Thank you Michael, that will be all tonight. Take the rest of the night off you earned it.” I knew all of my personal staff’s names and treated them like humans. I even started throwing them a Christmas party every other year as a way to thank them for their work. Given what they had been through in the past few months, Michael had earned the rest of the day off given it was only 7 at night and normally he would be on call till 11.

“Thank you sir.” He said with professionalism but also shocked by it. You here in his voice. But he left me as I looked out to the gardens. It was a beautiful day and the signing had been perfect. It was a new day in Germany and I couldn’t be happier.

1893 Constitution

Under this new Constitution, the three branches of the government are confirmed.

Executive (Monarchy)

The Executive in the form of the monarchy in the House of Hohenzollern has a fair amount of power.

He has the power to appoint Chancellor and all federal ministers. However, in an agreement with the other monarchs of Germany those appointed to federal ministries and the officer of Chancellor can’t be hold seats in the Prussian government. Indeed, they can’t serve in any kingdom/duchy/etc’s government. They through can be appointed to the seat if they resign from the government, they serve in.

The Emperor has the power to appoint Imperial Judges to all three levels of the Imperial Justice System. The names he selects comes from either advice of the Bundesrat Council or a list drawn up from the Bundesrat Proper. These judges are to be confirmed by the Reichstag.

The Monarch has the power to sign laws into being or veto in whole or in part. If veto, it depends on the veto but the legislative can over turn it. If in whole veto its takes a 2/3s majority to over turn it. If its an in-part veto both chambers need a 60.1% to overturn the in-part veto.

The power to declare war and peace rest solely with the monarch. The monarch is also the commander and chief of the armed forces both in peace and in war.

The monarch has power to reject any treaty as they see fit. Yet power of ratification rest with the legislative.

Further still the monarch has the power to pardon and grant clemency as he sees fits outside of cases where he is personally linked to. This is only for Empire wide crimes.

The monarch has the power to dismiss the Reichstag based on the advice of the Chancellor and his government.

In the event the monarch is either underage or suffering from ill health and unable to discharge his duties a regent shall be appointed. The regent shall have all the powers of the monarch till the monarch either comes of age or recovers health wise. The regent shall having been named by the former monarch in the event of being under age or the current monarch in the event of ill health.

The monarch branch is centered in Berlin.

Legislative (Reichstag/Bundesrat)

The Legislative is a tricamel in nature.

The Reichstag is best put as the US House in this set up. Its members are voted on by the people of the empire. Districts are equally drawn to kill Gerrymandering before it has a chance to form. Districts are to be fairly redrawn after every census. Said census takes place every ten years.

The Bundesrat is best put as a cross between the US Senate and the British House of Lords. Each Kingdom/Duchy/etc, has a set number of seats here. The seats in the main Bundesrat are appointed by the heads of each Kingdom/Duchy/etc. Those who hold these seats serve at the pleasure of whoever appointed them. They can be appointed as that monarch of the given Kingdom/Duchy/etc may appoint how they see fit.

Yet within the Bundesrat there is a second smaller section that is slightly different and known as the Bundesrat Council. This is the personal council to the monarch of the empire. Each of the Kingdom/Duchy/etc of the empire has two seats on this council. One is appointed by the head of the house that heads the member kingdom/duchy/etc they come from. The other is elected by populate vote from the same kingdom/duchy/etc. They serve for five years before being reappointed or elected when the council is called for a new one to formed depending on which way they got their seat. They only vote in the Bundesrat Proper in the event of a dead lock vote in that chamber.

To be a member of the legislative one must be 30 years of age and have no felonies in their past. To be elected to the Reichstag or the Bundesrat Council must achieve a 50% plus one vote in order to be elected.

Election Campaigns are only six week long, and outside this no campaigning can take place following the call for a new election. If run off elections are needed a further two weeks of campaigning is to take place.

If a member of either chamber of the legislative branch commits high crimes or misdemeanors, they shall stand an impeachment trial before the Imperial Supreme Court. A simple majority is needed to removed them from their seat and bar them from future service within the Empire at any level of government.

The legislative has the power of the purse.

The legislative has the power to set the empire wide sale tax.

The legislative has the power to confirmed judges that had been nominated by the emperor. This needs to be a simple majority vote to be confirmed.

The legislative has the power for treaty ratification.

The legislative has the power to advance draft new bills yet but they these bills to be approved by the emperor to become law or have the majority needed to overturn the emperor’s veto.

The legislative has the power to appointed the deputies to the ministries along with the deputy Chancellor. Together with those appointed by the Emperor form the working of the government of the empire.

The legislative branch has the power to remove judges who commit high crimes and misdemeanors. This shall be done via impeachment of the judge in question with the Reichstag performing the role prosecutor. The Chief of the Supreme Court will be the judge in this case, with the Bundesrat and Bundesrat Council acting as the jury.

The legislative shall be based in Frankfurt save for the Bundesrat Council to the Emperor which shall be based in Berlin.

Judicial

There are three tiers of courts, the Imperial District Courts, Imperial Appellate Courts, and finally the Imperial Supreme Court. Judges at every level are pointed by the emperor himself. All those who will be appointed will be able to pass a basic test on the knowledge of being a judge.

A judge is appointed to a commission of 20 years. Following which judges shall be granted a retirement pension reflected on the court they serve on. A judge may start a new 20 year commission of service if they are promoted in level, i.e. going from district to appellate, or appellate to supreme. If a judge finished their 20 year commission and is under the age of 55 they may be granted another 20 year commission so long as the emperor agrees to it.

The judicial branch works to maintain both a working criminal justice system along with maintaining the laws passed and signs into law are themselves in line with the Constitution.

The Supreme Court serves as the impeachment court for legislative.

At the time of this being formed there will be 21 district courts and seven appellate courts. More courts maybe formed later if the current courts are unable to handle their court load.

The Supreme Court shall be based in Ulm.

Other things that come out of this.

A-L becomes the Grand Duchy of Elsaß-Lothringen of the German Empire. Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria shall be granted the title of Grant Duke of Elsaß-Lothringen.

Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern becomes the new King of Bavaria.

The Prussian Foreign Affairs Ministry and Prussian War Ministry are moved from the control of the Prussian government to that of the Federal government and fold in various other war and foreign affair ministries into them into one branch. New federal ministries of treasury, justice, naval, colonial, interior, health, education, and veteran affairs are to be formed. Outside the Colonial and Naval Ministries the other ministries are to smooth operations across Germany and a lot of power is still held by the states in these areas.

Luitpold, Ludwig, and other German royals who sided against Wilhelm have their lives spare but they renounce their titles and go into exile.

The right to name people to nobility up to the rank of markgraf is solely up the emperor. Titles beyond the rank of markgraf shall be named by the emperor on the advice of the Bundesrat Council.

A few new orders of chivalries are founded. The first is the Order of the German Empire. Largely based off the Order of the British Empire, but designed to be a united form of uniting force within Germany. It comes in six grades ranging from Medal to Knight Grand Cross. The Knight Grand Cross and Knight Commander grades are entitled to the right to use the Sir/Dame. Comes in military and civil divisions.

The next is the Order of Merit, largely based off the British order of the same name. This replaces the Pour le Mérite for civilian service. This is to be awarded to civil servants, scientists, and others who achieve great feats within their field. Limited to six per year being awarded.

The Pour le Mérite becomes a pure military award. Basically, the highest award for gallantry within all of Germany. This comes in two slightly different ways, those who are alive and those who died in their act of gallantry or thereafter before they could be awarded the alive variant. The alive variant is known as unofficially as the Blue Max, and unofficial name of the dead variant is the Black Max. It’s a single class award, but with a system that is different to show multi awards. This is awarded no matter rank if it’s the act of gallantry is that brave and important.

There is also a DSO created basically a clone of the US Army DSC, but for officers only. The DSM is for enlisted folks. The only time enlisted folks get a DSO is if it’s a near miss for the Pour le Mérite. The Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class are after that and have largely the same part of OTL.

At this meeting an agreement is come to an order of precedence for all German awards is agree to. All kings/dukes/etc retain all rights to their award at their discretion. Its just the order of precedence within the German Empire is agreed to.

The Hohenzollern Province is turned over from the control of Prussia to the Kingdom of Württemberg save for a small piece of land around Hohenzollern Castle.

The Kingdom of Saxony will take over Principality of Reuss-Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg save for small plots of land to remaining in the control of the royal houses of these small kingdoms. These kingdoms because of their size have no vote in any Federal Election. Further minor border areas in this region belonging to Prussia will be turned over to the Kingdom of Saxony.

Building Up Pt VIII

Near the White Elster River
September 1 1893

I was standing with King Albert of Saxony and a number of other critical people. This was the official start of a new project that had been passed under the first major bill passed by the new Reichstag. Granted the Reichstag still was undergoing a number by-line elections right now to replace Deutschkonservative Partei members who had been caught up in the 19 Days. Given how that was happening along with the commission I had looking at redrawing the map for the Reichstag I had held off on calling for new elections for now on the advice of my government.

Herbert von Bismarck had named a number of people who hadn’t been known to us that had been supporting of his father in that time. Many were in the DkP or the Junkers class themselves. Given everything he had given up, I had agreed to allow him to go into an exile of his choice instead of sending him to join the royals that had been caught up in this mess on Pitcairn Island. That was costing me 100,000 Marks per year to the British to cover the cost of it but it was worth it.

For Herbert he had selected a new name and decided to go to live in the United States. I was fine with that. You could see the putsch his father led broke Herbert. I hoped wherever he landed in the States he would find peace and a reason to live. I might be a hard nose bastard at times but I wasn’t heartless.

At the moment through I had a shovel in my hand along with Albert. We were doing the first shoves worth of dirt for a new canal that was being built. Given I didn’t think we were ready for roads and I really wanted to weld Germany together, so I gave the hint to the Reichstag that a massive upgrade to the German inland waterway network should be something they worked on. They ran with it. Under the Inland Waterway Act of 1893, almost a thousand kilometers of various canals had been approved and funded, if not all at once. There were also the upgrades to other canals. It was a massive infrastructure project.

The reason this one was being built first was as part of the price I had to pay when I got Albert and William to sign off on the 1893 Constitution. They wanted more than land for allowing foreign affairs and defense to become the sole purview of the German Emperor, aka my solo playground. So, they were getting first shots at these new canals that were being built. This canal would link up Leipzig to the rest of the inland waterway network of Germany.

Frankly I was fine with this. It would help tie Saxony to Germany. It would also help reinforce a message I was playing on about; we are stronger together. I even when on about that in the short speech I gave before me and Albert turn the first few shoves full of dirt to signal the start of this project. Indeed Albert did his part as well. Then again, I think Albert was keener on my reforms that were ongoing in the army at the moment. Those plans through were being put on hold for the moment.

The Panic of 1893 had kicked off, about right on time as memory served. I was doing my best to get Germany through this in a stronger position. It was one of the reasons I had put army reforms on a hold for the moment as I was more focused on keeping the economy afloat now after the major victory, I had in getting the 1893 Constitution signed. Then again Germany was already well position to rapidly recover from this. Based on the economic reports I was getting the current unemployment rate for Germany on the whole was around 6% at the moment. That was a far cry from the 20% plus unemployment rate in some US States at the moment.

A net side effect was fewer Germans were migrating to the US and the New World in general than in years past. Even through it had been decreasing over the past few years, this year marked a sharp drop in those migrating to the New World. Hell, even the Polish-Prussians as they were calling themselves, were generally less likely to migrate to the US at the moment. It was at the point I had people actively looking the possibly of actively recruiting Volga Germans to return to Germany or the colonies instead of travelling to the US as I was seeing an increasingly number of them travelling to the US. Given things I might set up a homesteading offer for them in the colonies to help get more value out of them. They were farmers mostly and I needed that to help settle the colonies. That was something to happen in the near couple of years through.

Formation of the Confederation of Saxony

Thanks to Jim Smitty for the great TL. Here is a chapter that I'm posting with his permission.

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King Albert of Saxony – Castle Altenburg – December 1893

To say that the last year had changed things in Germany was an understatement: the 19 days; the death of Bismarck; the deposition of Luitpold and his son; the new constitution; new infrastructure drives and most importantly to me the expansion of Saxony into Thuringia.

Times had been changing beforehand of course. Ever since Wilhelm had ascended to the throne he had become the driving force behind change in Germany. But the 19 days had done something to Germany. The country had come together before against the French in 71. But this time the German nation had come together against internal the narrow-minded particularism of Bismarck, Luitpold and their reactionary crowd. Travelling around the Empire you don’t see state flags hanging by themselves anymore. Always now it is the black white and red imperial flag being flown. Even the royal palace in Dresden is covered with as many Imperial flags as the white and green of Saxony. Truly the days of Prussia, Saxony, Wurttemberg and the like were done with the German Empire now ascendant.

That was of course not to say that the different Kingdoms were now an irrelevance! The Saxon people had a long and proud history. We are proud of our traditions, culture and history! But today the different tribes of the German nation were more unified than ever before. As the Kaiser loves to say, “the German tribes are stronger together than they ever were apart! Many tribes, one nation!” That was what today was about of course. Saxony moving forward. Forward as Saxon Germans. Forward as the innovative centre of Germany.

To do that of course we had to change. Luckily enough the 19 days were fortuitous in how it left the dynastic landscape of Saxony. Both the Reuss and Schwarzburg principalities had been annexed into Saxony, leaving only the four Ernestine duchies remaining. Four Ernestine dukes of house Wettin and one Albertine King of house Wettin.

It had started at the signing of the new constitution. Dona had remarked to Wilhelm and me that the mess of the Saxon duchies was a frustration to her as she felt it was holding the Saxon people back. That led to many conversations between herself and I on the matter. Six months later that had broadened into lengthy discussions between all five ruling members of house Wettin. Last month that evolved into high level discussions between all five of our state governments. For myself it came down to the prosperity of Saxony. For the others I’m sure that played a role, but more importantly for them it came down to money. Simply put, the costs of running the functions of state are not cheap. Even if small, the costs of a parliament, civil service and government administration is by no means easy. However, by coming together and merging our parliaments, civil services and administrations the cost savings would not be insignificant. Plus, I offered to divide up the Saxony wide royal tax income in a more favourable manner to them.

The joint proposal we had just signed would hopefully be the first amendment to the constitution allowing us to create the Confederation of Saxony, pending of course approval in our separate parliaments followed by the Reichstag, Bundesrat and Kaiser. A good day for Saxony. A good day for Germany.

The summarised proposals of the bill go as follows:

- The territories of all five ruling branches of house Wettin shall be merged into the Confederation of Saxony.

- The confederation shall combine all the governance of the five territories in one administration.

- A bicameral legislature shall meet in Dresden. It will hold all the powers previously granted to its predecessor parliaments. With control over state-wide, taxation, education, policing and legislation.

- For Federal elections to the Reichstag shall occur with the Saxony Confederation being considered a single federal state.

- For appointments to the Bundesrat all five monarchs retain their previous rights of appointment.

- For the Bundesrat Council the Confederation shall have only two seats. One member decided by a popular vote across the Confederation and the other by agreement of the Wettin monarchs. If there fails to be unanimous agreement in the selection of the monarchic representative, a candidate that is supported by a majority of the five will be chosen.

- The distribution of royal incomes. The funds due to House Wettin from the Saxon Confederation shall be divided with the King of Saxony receiving 72% and each other monarch receiving 7%.

- The King of Saxony shall be known as the First Amongst Equals and correspondingly will have the main ceremonial and authority roles in Confederation. The other monarchs will retain various ceremonial roles.

- The King of Saxony’s signature is required for all state legislation to pass into law, but an be vetoed by agreement of all four other monarchs.

- The Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach shall be renamed to the Grand Duchy of Saxony.

- The monarchic houses Reuss and Schwarzburg, shall be allowed into the confederation as private citizens, keeping their remaining possessions, but as subjects of the King of Saxony.

- An exchange of minor territorial enclaves and exclaves shall take place for the benefits of a more streamlined administration. The Kingdoms of Prussia and Bavaria are invited to take part in these adjustments.

Tech Growth Part V

Potsdam
Sanssouci
October 12 1893

Wilhelm was currently performing a royal tour in Straßburg right now with Archduke Ferdinand Karl. He had left me here to take care of the children and allow me to work in my lab. This was part of our efforts to get the people of Elsaß-Lothringen to support Karl as their Grand Duke. So far, the people of the region seemed to be responding positively to Karl who would rule under the regnal name of Karl, and latter to be Karl the First if there was another Karl to rule. His cadet branch house name was going to be Alsace-Lorraine-Habsburg. Franz Joseph was pissed with that but what could he do about it?

From what I could tell he was trapped, as if he tried to break away from Germany now, his nation most likely would fall apart. There was a growing element in Cisleithania that wanted to be part of the German Empire. Even more so after the reforms brought about the new constitution that has been enacted this year. To my surprise there was even a growing grain of support in this is the Czech areas of Cisleithania. Granted it wasn’t anywhere near the numbers in say Austria, Tyrol, or the Sudeten regions of what I knew as the Czech Republic, but still the fact it was gaining traction there was a good sign.

Galicia was the other surprise as they were becoming even more pro-German Empire as Wilhelm had brought the Poles of Posen to the table and treated them well. He had thought about reforming the Grand Duchy of Posen but decided that would be a bridge too far after talking with me about the idea. But the fact he had brought the Poles in and Posen was growing economically even now was a big selling point in Galicia right now. I knew Wilhelm was trying to privately and quietly get a read on his support in Carniola as well, but that area was a mess at the moment with a host of different political parties there.

The French were raising holy hell about what was happening in Elsaß-Lothringen through. Even though I generally stayed out of Foreign Affairs as that was Wilhelm’s preview, but damn if they hadn’t made some hey about Elsaß-Lothringen being elevated to the status of a Grand Duchy of the German Empire. Everyone else through, even the Russians were looking at them like they were nuts and the brief war scare that happened after our plans became public had drifted into nothingness. I think that was because everyone told them to back the fuck off and they knew alone against Germany they were toast. 1871 had proven that.

At the moment though I was working in my lab. It was something I honestly enjoyed as it was just me and no pressures of the royal court. Even through this evening I was hosting a number of minor royals from the Thuringia region of Germany. Most had come to accept me as Wilhelm’s right hand or as some liked to joke behind my back his neck. I had been pushing for reforming the mess of states in the Thuringia region and seemed that Albert was taking the lead in this. But I was still making a pitch to help the effort.

That was at the back of my mind through. I was currently on the hunt for Krypton. Under my pseudonym Countess Sophia, I had been officially accredited with the discovery of Argon. I had also spent the last few years finding ways to make Argon a useful noble gas along with making it affordable to make it. I however had gotten to the point I couldn’t do much more in my lab without a massive influx of cash and equipment.

Wilhelm said he wouldn’t object if I decided to go down that path. But after thinking about it, I decided against it. There were a few people knew about my works in the field of science was really myself and not Countess Sophia as I published my work under. That was largely because I was able to work out a small lab, but growing the lab would give it away and that wouldn’t do. So, I sold most of my research to Krupp so they could start working on the industrial scale needed to apply it to their steel making. That had netted a nice profit for me. Money me and Wilhelm were using for various other projects we wanted to see funded but for political reasons couldn’t be directly linked to.

Now with my research into Argon behind me, I had turned the bulk of my focus on finding Krypton and Neon. I did do some work every so often on Haber Process along the way, but I was having issues getting the catalyst to work. I was honestly starting to think I was too far ahead of the curve to make it work, but I was still making the effort. It was too important to Germany and indeed the world to not have it. But at the moment I was focusing on finding Krypton.

Homesteading the Colonies Pt I

Pokrowskaja Sloboda, Russian Empire
Public Square
November 23 1893

If one didn’t know better one would assume, they were in part of the German Empire. German was being spoken by the majority of the people of the town. Signs were in German. The customs were German if with a slightly different favor than you would find in Germany. Yet you were well into the heart of the Russian Empire. This area had been settled by Germans as part of Catherine the Great’s effort to improve Russia through migration of other Europeans to Russia. Most of these Germans were the descended from Bavaria, Baden, Hesse, Palatinate, and the Rhineland. Granted there were other areas but they made up the majority.

Many came for various reasons. Those reasons they came through were going away through as much had changed since the reign of Catherine the Great. Many in St. Petersburg were pushing for the Russification of the Volga Germans. This not withstanding the fact that the area the Volga Germans had colonized back under the rule of the Catherine the Great was one of the most economically rich farming regions of the Russian Empire. In a nation which couldn’t meet its own demand for food stuffs the reasoning behind such a choice could be questioned.

Wilhelm II had brought up this issue with Alexander III via his ambassador. Granted relations between the two neighboring empires weren’t as good as it could have been, it wasn’t the deep freeze that was there between Berlin and Paris. Even with the Forestry Service in Russia there was growing pressure to end the special treatment of the Volga Germans and start conscription of the non-Mennonites Germans into Russian military service. For Wilhelm he didn’t want to see ethnic Germans forced into the military of an empire they would possibly face their ethnic brothers on the battlefield.

Because of this Berlin and St. Petersburg came to an agreement. Then once the Reichstag approved the funding for the various things that had been agreed to, German agents were setting up shop along the Volga to recruit ethnic Germans for this agreement. The first office was being set up in Pokrowskaja Slobodatoday. This would be one of 15 offices that would be set up in the region of the Volga that Germans had colonized under Catherine the Great.

The goal was simple, Wilhelm wanted to recruit the Volga Germans to help settle the colonies in Africa and Asia. Homestead of 120 hectares were being offered to those who accepted the offer. This would come with other support to help settle the colonies. This ranged from low interest loans on favorable terms to help buy needed equipment, to schooling to help them farm better in these regions to many other topics. Transportation to the colony of their choice was free on agreement to accept the homestead. To keep the land, they only had to stay on it for a decade.

Currently the only area they could choose was the Solomon Islands. This was because Wilhelm was in talks with the British about a possible colony swap with the British and this was the region that kept coming up. Other than that, the whole of the German colonial empire was up to homesteading from those of this region of Russia.

One thing that came up when the first Mennonites came in asking questions was that of military service. For those of such faiths as the Mennonites, even in Germany itself they were being offered alternative service. They would still be in the army but being performing the work of medical orderlies or doctors/nurses if they had that training well behind the fronts in military hospitals. Yet for those in the colonies, military service was not being enforced during peacetime. Only in the event of war would that change, and even then, the Mennonites would still be allowed into the alternative service that has been created for those who objected to military service on religious grounds.

1893 End of Year Update

Domestic

The big news this year was the 19 Days and the 1893 Constitution. If you guys want anything cleared up about it, let me know.

The Bavarian Army was folded into the German Army.

Hohenzollernsche Lande save a plot of land around Hohenzollern Castle was turned over to the Kingdom of Württemberg.

A number of minor German states in the Thuringia Region were largely taken over by the Kingdom of Saxony. Further two small Prussian enclaves were turned over to the control of the Kingdom of Saxony.

Inland Waterway Act of 1893 was signed into law. It’s a massive upgrade to the German Canal and Inland Waterway System along with adding almost 1,000 kilometers to it.

The Homestead Act of 1893 was signed into law. This act is designed to get both German citizens and Volga Germans to migrate to the German Colonial Empire.

Changes Within Government Personal

Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern became King Leopold of Bavaria.

Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria, became Grand Duke Karl of the Grand Duchy of Elsaß-Lothringen.

Newly Signed Treaties

An agreement was reached between Germany and Britain where the royals who rebelled and the non-royals who’s actions didn’t warrant to be shot but were more than simple being forced into retirement were sent off to Pitcairn Island. A total of 37 people where put into exile on Pitcairn.

An agreement was reached between Germany and Russia to allow Germany to recruit Volga Germans to move to the German colonies save for the German colonies of the Solomon Islands.

Foreign Regions

USA

Stable

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Decreasing Slightly

Russia

Slightly Improving

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Kaiser Friedrich IV Class Battleship

13,000 tons Standard Load, 4 x 30.5 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 18 kts, well armored/Krupp Armor

Kaiser Friedrich IV
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse

Victoria Louise Class Protected Cruiser

4 Ordered

Asian Matters Pt I

Berlin
Wilhelmstraße 76
January 4 1894

As part of one of the many spending acts, I had signed since the new constitution had funded the building of a number of important new buildings for the German government. This included a proper building in Frankfurt for the Reichstag and Bundesrat, a number of Imperial Courthouses including the supreme court at Ulm. The Bundesrat Council had taken up their residence in Reichstagsgebäude through. That had saved some and allowed a use for the building now that the Reichstag was setting up shop in Frankfurt. Through it was likely to be renamed in the near future as the Reichstag wanted that name for their building in Frankfurt.

For the Foreign Service through this meant it would be getting a new building as well. I wanted a building that matched the importance of the work that was being done here. Plus, I wanted a few things that couldn’t be done with this building. Like secure rooms and some other things to keep foreign intelligence operations at bay. Currently design work was on going for this new building but I was hoping it would break ground later this year or early next.

There was also funding for new buildings to house the other federal offices that were my sole purview. These were war, navy, and colonial. Well with the colonies every member state was allowed to have their own deputy there to make sure they got a fair shake of things of Germans going to the colonies but I was fine with that. It still allowed me to have control of where Germany was going with its colonial programs and I was hoping to fold the natives of the colonies into Germany itself and make them believe they were German as well.

For the other ministries that I was able to appoint ministers to would have to wait for their own buildings. That was simply because they didn’t have the same level of power as the other four ministries that reported directly to me. They were more a ministry to streamline things and allowed Germany to become more efficient and improve service to all. I had wanted to make the treasury the same, but there wasn’t enough support for that, so at the moment I would have to make do.

Yet the reason I was here at Wilhelmstraße 76 was because something was brewing in Asia. It was a bit early but for some reason Korea was seeing a peasant rebellion against Seoul happen now instead a few months from now as I recalled. Granted my Asian history wasn’t my strong suit but still it seemed early to me. Maybe I had somehow spark things to come to a head earlier, I honestly didn’t know.

My policy for Asia was complex. I honestly wanted to develop German New Guinea, well most of it. I knew there were resources there that would help feed German industry. Plus, Simpsonhafen was a damn nice port. If not for that bloody caldera I most likely would be making it the home port of the planned Pacific Squadron when I got around to forming that in a couple of decades. I had given some thought of making an offer to the Spanish to buy their far east holdings but they had too much pride to sell at the moment.

Japan I was working with. I honestly had good relations with the Japanese ambassador to my nation. Further I had a Japanese Jujutsu master as a personal trainer who I would spar with twice a week when possible. Talks were underway to end the unequal treaty signed during the Eulenburg expedition. They were rapidly Westernizing and becoming a force to be dealt with in Asia. I also wanted to keep them from going fucking nuts like they did in the history I knew. So, I was working to make sure that didn’t happened.

Korea, honestly, I hadn’t put the time or effort into Korea as I had with Japan. I simply view that as wasting good marks on something that was doomed. I didn’t have relations with Joseon as Korea was know at the moment. My reporting of events in Korea were coming from the British at the moment. This was because the Asian section within the Foreign Office was too thin to try so I focused on Japan and China as that section built itself up.

China through? China was a bloody mess and corrupt as all hell. The captain of the Zhenyuan had put into hawk two of the main guns of his ship from what my intelligence reports had told me. That was honestly crazy and impressive all in the same breath. There was other corruption that my intelligence reports had send back to me, but it was that piece that stuck out in my mind. The question came up through my planning, and hundreds of pages of notes I had written to help guide me through what I was trying to create, what to do with China.

I had when back and fore on what to do with China. Part of me really didn’t want to get into the cluster that was China. The other part of me told me just to keep up with the Joneses I would have to. Finally, it was the latter part that won out. The question then became where. I knew historically that the Germans when into the Shandong Peninsula around Qingdao. Yes, it was a good port and that part of China wasn’t under anyone else’s SOI. But frankly I didn’t like it as its whole economy would be based of being a trade port. With China being the mess that it was, that’s not something I wanted to stake an economy on if I had other choices.

As such a debate had turn to just taking the whole of Hainan or the Zhoushan Chain of Islands near Shanghai and Yangtze River. Each had their pros and cons to having the German flag flying there. Formosa had been rejected outright in my planning as I didn’t want to have to try and garrison that island with ITS history. Other places in China offer the same problems as Qingdao. Zhoushan or as it was known at the moment Chusan was squarely in the British SOI, and after a feeler to them that got shot down in short order.

So, I moved on to looking at Hainan in a more serious light. Honestly, I liked it. The place could be Germanisation based on everything I had seen so far. Its population was small enough that it could be done in my opinion. Further I knew there were iron mines there. Plus, it would be a nice source of rubber and rice. But more importantly it would give me the Chinese claims to the Paracel and Spratly Island groups which would be damn nice to have control of in the future.

The only problem I really ran into was the only way to get Hainan was a war with China. A treaty port was one thing, but Hainan was a good size island at over 35,000 square kilometers. I didn’t want a war at the moment. So, I had when at this in a two-fold manner. I drew plans for both possible take overs of both Hainan which was what I wanted along with a treaty port at Qingdao. The latter being more likely but I wanted the former. I however didn’t see a path for it yet.

Money Makes the World Go Round Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 12 1894

I was working at my desk at the moment. Currently I was reading about ongoing economic fall out from the Panic of 1893. Germany was honestly weathering this storm fairly well so far. Then again it was helping out that I had a number of major infrastructure projects ongoing within Germany at the moment. Unemployment was still hanging around 6% of the total population which was good as unemployment in the US was already over 20% in some states. This was helping me in my long-term goal of keeping Germans in Germany. There were also signs that in Germany unemployment might be dropping which would be a blessing.

Honestly, I didn’t care too much about the ethnic background. I was working on creating a melting pot of a nation here where no matter the ethnic background you could still be German. It was a complex dance I was doing but it was working as people were rallying to the idea of a united Germany here in Germany. Even the Reichstag was working together fairly well at the moment. They had just approved the formation of the Confederation of Saxony amendment to our new constitution. I would be signing that in a few days in Dresden.

At the moment through I was focused on the economic reports coming out of the US. Notably the New York and Boston Stock Exchanges. There were a few others I was also watching, but it was those two stock exchanges that I was watching closely. That was along with all the economic stuff I was watching. If someone could prove it that would be a chance in the 21st century I could had been sent to jail for insider trading. Granted I wish I had a lap top where I could second by second trading instead of coded caballing like I was now with my brokers in the US. But still I had a good memory and I was willing to bet on it.

My short sell calls had netted me a small fortune off a small cost to set it up. I now had 800,000 US Dollars in a bank account that was run by J.P. Morgan from the shorts that had worked. There had been a few times I have been wrong but overall, I was still well in the green at the moment. I had further shorts on going at the moment. If I cashed out now, I would be working at another 200k in my bank account in the US. But based on what I was seeing it wasn’t the time to cash out at the moment. I wanted to get as much money as possible before I started to buy stocks instead of short them. I was looking at getting enough stocks in a few different companies where I could have a vote on the Board of Directors. Thereby I would have the ability to have access to confidential information to help better position German companies to defeat the American industrial juggernaut.

That was the whole reason I was playing the stock markets in the US. I needed to get inside help to help defeat the American industrial juggernaut and if I had a vote on the critical BODs I could do that. I was looking at using that windfall of cash to buy in a few key industries. But which companies I hadn’t decided on yet. I wasn’t going to decide anytime soon either as I knew the Panic would last for a few more years so I was waiting to prices bottom out.

Just as I was putting my papers away, Dona entered my study, “You didn’t!” She was holding the evening paper. But the fact she was speaking English told me it was something bad.

“What?” She glared at me, “Look I honestly don’t know what you are talking about Honey.”

Dona looked at me trying to find out if I was lying or not. “So, you had nothing to do with the assassination of Oreste Baratieri?”

“What?” I would be lying if I hadn’t thought about assassinating Baratieri. I wanted to keep that fool from marching into Adwa and giving Africans that victory. But my intelligence service didn’t have that kind of reach. Plus assassinating a member of an allied government would be a bridge too far that would undo a lot of my diplomatic efforts to date. So, after looking at the Baratieri problem, I decided against it.

Dona was studying me. “So, you didn’t have anything to do with this?”

“Honey, on my word of honor I didn’t have anything to with this.” I said as I got up and walked to her. Once I was standing in front of her, I pulled her in for a hug and whispered in her ear, “I made a promise to you and I plan to keep it.” I then leaned in and kissed her like there wouldn’t be another moment for a passion filled kiss with the woman I loved.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
March 27 1894

I was setting however my head was still spinning with the news I just had been handed in my morning briefing. The Italians had decided to go to war with the Ethiopians and were only waiting for their new commanding general and some reinforcements to reach Eritrea before going on the war path. They were sending Antonio Baldissera, a man I knew nothing about from my study of history. What I did know of him I had learned since I heard his name this morning. He had formally served in the Austrian Army prior to 1866. He then opted to join the Italian Army with his home city now being in Italy. It seemed that my people had a high opinion of him, which was rare for Italian generals.

But the fact the Italians had linked the Ethiopians to the assassination of Oreste Baratieri just didn’t make any sense to me. Not from the reports I seen. Based off what I seen, it looked like a simple railway accident. As the railway in Eritrea was still being built up and Baratieri had been doing a PR bit when the train derail. How they made the jump to an assassination was beyond me. Maybe they were just going to use this as a pretext to enforce Treaty of Wuchale.

I had turned away the ambassador the Ethiopians had sent to me last year, and used the Treaty of Wuchale as the pretense for it. If I was honest with myself, I wanted the Ethiopians to lose so Adwa wouldn’t happen. Without Adwa it would make my job of integrating German African holdings into Germany so much easier. It wasn’t even I had designs on the Horn of Africa. I just wanted the sprits of Africans to be broken and to be open to adopting Western Ways, notably German Ways. The only thing I could hope for was Baldissera was up to the task of defeating the Ethiopians.

Only it wasn’t what was going on in the Horn of Africa right now that had my head spinning. In France the Dreyfus Affair was starting from the reports coming out of France. How they figured Dreyfus was a “spy” for my intelligence service was beyond me. It wasn’t that I didn’t have spies within France, because I did, but Dreyfus wasn’t one of them. I knew every one of them as I enjoyed the game of espionage. Some had come into German service on their own accord. Others were being blackmailed.

The question was what had caused the French to make the move to arrest Dreyfus. That was even puzzling my own intelligence service at the moment. I had reformed the intelligence service to be more professional and not leave behind clues that could possibly burn agents. I knew that was how the Dreyfus Affair in my timeline started. A French maid working at the embassy in Paris had pulled papers out the trash bin. All my embassies now had furnaces which they were to burn secret papers in.

So, what caused them to move against Dreyfus based on what I had seen had me wondering. What caused this move. As there wasn’t no good reason as far as I could see. Also, I thought this wouldn’t happen in the fall if at all given the reforms I had put in place which should had snuff out the Dreyfus Affair before it ever happened. The only thing I could do at the moment was order a counter intelligence investigation to take place to see if there was a leak.

Then there was Asia. Kim Ok-gyun had been assassinated in Shanghai a few weeks ago. What the Koreans did to the body was unspeakable. Put together with the ongoing revolt in Korea with the Koreans asking for Chinese help put down the revolt, meant it was only a matter of time before a war started in Korea. My intelligence briefing here wasn’t as high quality as I would had liked, but still it took some time to get information from Asia. I was privately wondering if a war had already start in Asia and I just didn’t know about it yet.

But 1894 was shaping up to be energetic year.

Army Affairs Pt I

Near Teutoburg Forrest
German Army Proving Grounds
May 4 1894

There is a reason the infantry was only the queen of battle. Like in chess they could move rapidly and in any direction. Even with the work I had put into the subject they still lacked the hitting power I wanted. Granted they were armed with some of the best bolt action rifles money could buy and had more machine guns per division than there were in many armies. But those machine guns weight also 30 kilos and took a hell of an effort to move them on the field of battle. I had a few notable gunsmiths working on possible replacements that would be lighter and more mobile, but at the moment like my self-loading rifle project it was just a bridge too far at the moment.

As to the king of battle that was the artillery. Even through I had been in the infantry I knew enough to know I needed to put the effort into the artillery as well. Armor was just too much of an ask at the current moment. But artillery was critical and I had put the effort into it as well. The big one way I knew artillery had to improve was in the recoil system. I knew that the French shocked the world with the French 75, with its hydro-pneumatic recoil system which allowed rapid and aimed artillery fire. It took Germany far to long to counter it, and I was hell bent to keep that from happening in this new world I was helping create.

To my stunned amazement, I learned in 1890 Konrad Haussner who worked at an arsenal at Ingolstadt had patented such a system. Then to my horror he was trying to sell his patents after Krupp had rejected them. If he did this in the history I came from or not, I didn’t know. But I had tapped into my slush fund from my own patents and stock dealing to buy Haussner’s patents just to make sure Germany would have this technology first.

When the Kaiser ask you to look into something, you do it. I knew when I had informed Krupp of the fact I now owned Haussner’s patents and wanted them to find a way to make it work they weren’t happy with me but they did it. Yet Krupp had finally solved the problems with Haussner’s patents and had mated it to the new 7.7 cm light field gun that they were working on. After testing it, they told me it was ready for to watch it be tested fired. So, I was here at the testing range to watch it be used by the German Army.

Given we were testing artillery I had everyone including myself wearing helmets. These were Pickelhaube. They were made of medal, instead of the leather ones given to the infantry. I knew I would have to find a way to get Stahlhelm in use, but at the moment I didn’t know how to make them. I had a sketch of one but the pressing tech to make them was beyond my ability to figure out at the moment. It was another thing I had a few people working on.

I was currently inspecting the gun. It was during this time I noticed something that hadn’t hit me before. “Herr Fuchs, would it be possible to create a split in the carriage so the barrel of the gun could have a higher elevation than it currently does?” I didn’t know why I didn’t remember this till now, but split carriage designs would give our artillery even a bigger edge than our current recoil edge.

Fuchs was the head of the Krupp team that had designed this and the leader of the Krupp team here at the testing range. I could see my thoughts had triggered something in his head as he took a moment to answer. “Yes sir, it would be possible. It would incur greater cost than the current gun carriage we our using. But you are right it would give greater range than what we currently achieve at the moment from allowing a higher elevation of the barrel. It would also add stability to the gun itself which would make it more accurate than it currently is.”

I thought about it for a moment. I knew this wasn’t getting approved till next year’s budget as this year’s budget had already been approved. This was part of the testing phase, but in all likelihood this 7.7 cm field gun would be in German Army service next year. But there was an ongoing modernization of the artillery branch at the moment. Granted the Panic of 1893 slowed things down, but it was still on going. Doing the math in my head, “It may be too late to get such a carriage into service on this piece, but please work on adding it to the heavier guns I know your firm is working on.”

“Yes sir.” Fuchs said.

With that thought my inspection of the artillery piece was over. “You may fire when ready.” I said as I moved to the side as the gun crew moved up to fire the gun. The limber was opened up and show two dozen 7.7 cm shells in it. That was well short of what it could hold but, then again mass production of these shells hadn’t started yet. I was pushing for 500 to 600 shells being kept in reserve per gun instead of the even lower numbers some wanted. If I could get my way, I would get 3,000 to 4,000 shells per gun stockpile, but no way I would ever get the money for that. So, I was simply trying to increase the numbers on hand to put my army in a better position when war finally came to Europe.

It only took a moment for the gun crew to start firing their gun. Damn, they knew what they were doing, as going by my watch they were able to get off all 24 shells in 92 seconds. That was impressive. Now I just had to get this out to my regiments.

Colonial Build Up Pt I

Kamerunstadt, Kamerun
Docks
June 14 1894

Leutnant Jürgen Müller was stepping off the transport that had brought him to Kamerun. After four years of training he had been granted his commission and assigned to Battalion 1 of the Schutztruppe. Not all of those who had volunteered to be officers in the Schutztruppe made it. A few in his own training unit straight up fail. Others had been medically discharged after having injuries happen during their training. Yet, for Müller he felt a sense of pride as he was stepping the steamer that brought him here.

Since Kaiser Wilhelm had taken over the German Empire, work in the colonies had been something he had cared about. That was seen in the docks here in Kamerunstadt. New slips to birth merchants were being built up. Some were being built to allow the loading of cargo ships with bauxite ore that had been found here last year deep in the heart of the colony last year. Work was also underway to link the mine to the docks here via rail. Other slips were being built up for the loading of agriculture goods to bring those to market.

Down the ways one could see work on buildings in the city itself. These included the building to house the new colonial government, the courthouse, the hospital, and a few other buildings. Work was something that could easily be found here in Kamerun. Then again that was true in most of the German Colonial Empire. Unlike other colonies natives were being paid the equal of their European counter parts and generally treated well. Native children could freely enroll in school, well that was the goal. Currently in Kamerun the only place that was in practice was here in Kamerunstadt.

Müller and the three other officers that had been assigned to Schutztruppe Battalion 1 made their ways down the docks to where they were told they needed to report to. The changes to uniform of the Imperial German Army could be seen on these four junior officers. They were wearing the new Feldgrau uniform instead of the older uniforms that were still fairly common within the German Army. With the new uniform came new boots. The rumor was the Kaiser himself had taken a personal interest in the new boots and had put in a number of design changes of it during the design process. Müller didn’t know if that was true or not, but like others he heard the rumors.

The new Feldgrau was a far simplier uniform than the older uniforms like Müller had worn when he had served his service in the German Army as an enlisted man. There was even on the officer uniform a single row of buttons to deal with as only general officers would get a second row to deal with now. The only place where fabric had been added was for the Waffenfarbe on his collar. Müller’s was that of Prussian Blue, which meant he was an infantry officer. Two of his fellow officers were in the infantry with the third with Müller being in the artillery. That was clear with the Scarlet on his Waffenfarbe. Other than that, through no other fabric had been added to the uniform. Even his shoulder boards which marked him as a Leutnant weren’t fixed to the uniform. They could be taken on and off with a simple button and sliding them off or on.

On their hips hung their side arm. They had the opinion to buy their own, but all four officers had accepted their issue arms. Even with the fact they were getting paid far more than other officers for the fact they were being assigned to the colonies, they decided to save their money. As such they had M1879 Reichsrevolver. They however had not been issued swords, as only the cavalry was still being issued them.

It took the four officers about 45 minutes to get to where they needed to be. Once there the commander of Schutztruppe Battalion 1 started to inform the officers where they would be assigned. The artillery officer would stay here in Kamerunstadt as the artillery battery was still training up. They however were equipped with Krupp C64 field guns of Franco-Prussian War fame. Müller himself was being assigned to D Company which was garrison the area near Lake Chad. His troops were armed with equally old equipment with their rifles being captured French Chassepot rifles that had been rechambered to fire 11mm Mauser rifle ammo.

Then again that’s what all the infantry within the Schutztruppe was being equipped with at the moment. Plans were being looked at to reequip the Schutztruppe with more modern rifles, possibly the Mauser 71/84s to improve their firepower. Yet at the moment Germany needed those rifles with their reserve units in Europe as their were still regular army units equipped with those older rifles at the moment. It was hoped to have the last unit to make the move to the new Mauser 1889s by the end of next year through then start reequipping the reserves. Once that happened it was likely the 71/84s would make their way into the hands of the Schutztruppe, but at the moment the old Chassepots was what they had to work with.

Watching Pt I

Berlin
Königsplatz
July 31 1894

I was studying the map before at the moment. At the moment there were two wars being fought, one in Asia the other in Africa. Even through I didn’t had a stake in either war, the out come was critical for me long term in both. One I was sure would go my way the other, it was open to debate if it would or not. But I simply didn’t trust the Italians to not fuck it up. In the world I came from I was never impressive with Italian military operations at the strategic level, or even at the tactical level in many cases. Sure, they had some impressive feats to their belt but in large they were just a pile of hot mess.

Still even at the moment I needed them. In my general European war plans that have been revised over the years called for an Italian Army to replace the reserve German Army. Given every time we worked on this war plan in wargaming the Italians always got stuck in transit it had been decided to up their army on the front any time soon would be a folly. So, they would replace the German Army that we would be holding in reserve to go to the east or west depending on events on the ground.

Once the Italians got to that holding position with the best times in our wargaming being three months they would then be held there for a few weeks to work out the logistical issues they would bring. Then they would get sent to the front where needed, either east or west. I was hoping they would have to go to the east, as I really didn’t trust them against the French. I couldn’t come out and say that through.

Looking at the map of Italian Eritrea and the Tigray Region of Ethiopia and the markers of where Italian forces were last known at. There were very few markers of the Ethiopian forces at the moment. “How many machine guns do the Italians have with them?”

Generaloberst Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff who had replaced Generalfeldmarschall Julius von Verdy du Vernois who retired earlier this year looked at his notes. “They have a total of 11 guns. 4 Maxims and 7 of the Mauser-Browning guns.”

As part of my deal with John Browning all his designs would give DWM the first right of refusal to anything he came up with. This was allowing DWM to build more factories to employ more people along with increase their production capacity. Now the Mauser-Browning machine guns I honestly didn’t have any use for them. They were basically the M1895 Colt-Browning potato digger. Even through they were cheaper than the Maxims I was using at the moment, they had such limits on what I could do with them, that I didn’t want them in my army. They however were liked on the international arms market as they were cheaper. So far DWM had contacts with the Italians, Japanese, and Americans to sell them the gun in major batches.

With their limited number of artillery pieces that told me they would have to use those machine guns as light artillery pieces. But studying the map, “It looks like Baldissera is trying to secure his positions on the west bank of the Mareb.” I said.

“Yes sir, that’s what we believe he is doing.” Was the reply from my chief of the general staff. I wasn’t sure I agree with that move as I knew from history that the Ethiopians massively outnumbered the Italians. Granted the Italians had sent a regiment with a few artillery pieces with Baldissera, but that was a drop in the bucket to what the Ethiopians had.

There was a few more talks about what was going on in the African war, before we moved over to the war in Asia. This one was in the early stages as well. Unlike the Italians I had faith in the Japanese abilities to win this war. Further, with the steps I had taken to strength them as a long term future ally I think they might even do better than they did in the history I knew.

Even through it wasn’t online yet, one of geological survey team members I used to find resources I had him talk to a Japanese counterpart. Using those hints, I gave them, they had found the gold mine at Hishikari. Work was underway to develop it, but that mine wasn’t going to be on line till 1898 at the earliest. Further after the start of the war the foreign office help Japan secure a 10-million-mark loan at low interest rates to help them fund the war given I had an idea of the weak state of Japanese finances at the moment. Even through they won in the history I had come from I was putting my thumb on the scale here to make sure they did win, and bring Japan closer to my orbit as I wanted a strong ally in the Pacific, and for lack of choices Japan was it.

The war in Asia through was still young. The Japanese have taken Seoul and moving north in Korea. China’s answer to this was less than impressive to date. I honestly didn’t have much faith they would do any better. But I was watching both wars to see how things go.

Justice

Berlin
Spandau Prison
September 1 1894

I was in full uniform at the moment, even through I felt uneasy about wearing it to this. It was only after talking with Chancellor von Boetticher about it that I decided to attend this event in full uniform as I had planned to come in my normal suit. It still didn’t mean it was sitting right with me. But given the importance of this, I understood why von Boetticher counseled me to wear it.

Then again Boetticher was all I could ask for in my chancellor. He with the cabinet shakeup we just performed to go along with the new Reichstag taking their seats. Boetticher was staying on as Chancellor which I was honestly thankful for. As to who his deputy would be was a trickier question at first. Paul Singer and the SPD had won the most seats with 108 seats, how they were well short of the majority of 201 seats needed to form a majority within the Reichstag. So, I gave Singer the first crack at forming a coalition majority.

He failed to formed a majority needed, as most other parties really didn’t want to work with the socialist. Even August Bebel the leader of the splinter SPD wing refuse to work with Singer. The only party who was willing to work with Singer was FVp, and that only gave him another 23 seats. With Singer having failed to formed a majority, I turned to Franz von Ballestrem to form a majority within the Reichstag. His Centre Party had come in second with 91 seats. However the divided between Centre and SPD was too great to overcome for them to form a majority. The DkP had been gutted by the attempted coup against me, so they weren’t a buyable choice for Ballestrem to form a coalition majority. He was able to get NLP to join his coalition but that was only 49 seats, which still left him short 51 seats.

Once the time for Ballestrem to form a coalition had passed, I gave some thought about calling a snap election. Boetticher however didn’t agree that it was a time to call a snap election. So, I called Singer, Ballestrem, and a few others to meet with me, as I didn’t want to start with a minority government in the Reichstag. After a few rounds of talks I finally got an agreement to form a majority coalition. It was a coalition made up of SPD, Centre, and FVp. Singer would serve the first half of the five-year Reichstag term as the Deputy Chancellor with Ballestrem taking over the roll for the second half. They also reach an agreement in principle on what laws they were going to work for during this section of the Reichstag. None of these laws I would call sweeping, but it would still reform Germany and make it a better nation.

Paul von Hatzfeldt was staying on as the Foreign Minister along with Friedrich von Hollmann who was staying on to head the navy and Heinrich von Goßler who was still leading the ministry of war. The rest through had seen a shakeup. In the last of the ministries that was solely mine alone, I surprised many by tapping Wilhelm Solf to be my colonial minister. Solf was fairly junior but he had impressive everywhere he when as he served in the colonial office to the point I had noticed. After talking with him I decided he was who I wanted to head my colonial empire and hopefully start the process of making the colonies more German and folding them into the German Empire proper itself.

The most notable change was I named Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner to the take over for Leo von Caprivi at the Ministry of Interior. After working with Caprivi for six years, both me and Boetticher had come to decided he just didn’t have what it took to be a possible replacement for Boetticher. Honestly, I think Caprivi was happy to retire when we informed him that we wanted him to. In his place we would start grooming Posadowsky-Wehner to possibly be the future replacement for Boetticher.

Even through there were other changes, my mind snapped back to the current moment. Nine prisoners walked in. They were chained and shacked to each other. The guards then unhooked them as they were chained the wall. Once the last one was chained to the wall I spoke. “For your crimes against the Fatherland, your sentence is death by firing squad.” That was coming out in a loud booming voice.

I then nodded to the guards who started to place black bags over the heads of the prisoners. Once that was done, they placed a clay target over the heart of each of the prisoners to give them a point to aim to. I had 45 members of the 1st Guard Infantry Brigade acting as the executioners for this. At that point I picked up a box of ammo with 36 live rounds, and 9 blanks. I had three shooters for every prisoner. I then when down the line and loaded each rifle with one round. Because I had been the one to load this box I knew what each round was and had made sure each group of three had two live and one blank.

After making my way done the line I put the box down. “Make ready.” I commanded. At that 45 bolts were closed. “Take aim!” After giving as second to aim at the clay targets. “Fire!” I commanded. At that all 45 rifles fired. All nine prisoners had been hit and most slumped from the impacts. Only one remained up for a few seconds before he to fell. These were the nine that had been sentence to death for their role in the 19 Days.

It was over.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
October 21 1894

I had Dona by my side as I waited. I knew this was coming at some point unless we somehow had radically changed things. The death of Tsar Alexander the Third or The Peacemaker was the first time I had to deal with the death of a major foreign royal. This wasn’t an easy task, but we were both waiting for the Russian Ambassador to my nation. Honestly relations between my nation and Russia wasn’t the greatest and the actions we took over the past month had made things worse.

The Russian Naval Attaché, a man by the name of Dubassoff had been caught by police in Pillau a month ago. It seems he had been caught trespassing near the forts that guard the Baltic city. The only thing was this wasn’t the first time Dubassoff had been caught doing this. He was well known by the police in a number of the Pillau and known to be caught trespassing and the past. Given this was the sixth time, I informed the Russian Ambassador that I wanted Dubassoff recalled. This had followed multiple protest from my government about Dubassoff’s actions.

I knew diplomats also took part in espionage but this was too much. Yes, my own diplomats did some espionage, but they had at least the good sense not to get caught. Or if they did not to get caught, they made sure it was a once off, and never returned to that target. With the lax security of this day in age that was good enough. Then seven days ago, Dubassoff was bloody caught again trying to study the forts of Pillau for a seventh time.

At that point I had enough of this and explain as much to the Russian Ambassador. To be that sloppy was something I couldn’t let slide. Not after the protests and after the last time where I asked for Dubassoff to be recalled. So, I did something about it. I declared Dubassoff to be persona non grata and gave him a week to leave Germany. That had been a shock to the diplomatic world and sparked as the press was calling it the Dubassoff Crisis.

Honestly, I had no point of taking this to force of arms because it would be a stupid play to do it now. Time was on my side at the moment. However, my foreign office was working on a deal to end the crisis. Yet the fact the Russians had fumbled this so badly was going to work in my favor long term as even the British were disgusted by how sloppy Dubassoff had been and the fact the Russians really over reacted to me declaring Dubassoff persona non grata.

I was using this as a spring board to attempt to codified the laws of rights of diplomats. After the Russian bluster I passed notes to all the major embassies in Berlin. I asked them to come together for a summit to make clear the rights of diplomats, the rights of the host nation, and so on. The only reason I when this route as I had the support of the British in this. They were also having issues with the Russians being sloppy in their espionage in their nation and empire. I knew from what I was seeing they were hoping to use this summit that was setting up to take place in The Hauge sometime next year to nip this in the butt. For me I had my own goals, but it was helping me bring the British in closer which was what I wanted.

When my secretary came in and informed me the Russian Ambassador was here, I stood up to greet him. Unknown to the Russian Ambassador I had a third person watching this meeting. I never had trusted the Russians, and it was why I had a hidden area where a trusted member of the foreign office could watch everything and record the meeting with the Russians. Personally, I wanted to have thirds in the office, but it wasn’t the time in for that. Maybe after the first war through.

I spoke first, “My deepest sympathy for your loss of Tsar Alexander.” That was in poor Russian that I learned just for that. I currently could speak three languages fluently and was conversational in Polish at this point. Polish through was proving to be a mother to learn. From what little Russian I learn today; I had no plans to learn that language. If anything, if I ever master Polish I would either try my luck with Czech or French next. But given I been working on my Polish for years and I was only conversational, I wasn’t holding my breath.

At that the Russian ambassador let out a light laugh. He then started to speak in German, “Your majesty let’s keep this in a tongue you have mastered.”

I laughed at that. “Yes, let’s do that.” I said. At that point I started a rehearsed bit about how I sorry to see Alexander die with Dona adding in her own bits. I honestly wasn’t through even through I was acting as if I was. He was far better a person than Nicolas. I had met with Nicolas a few times and frankly I did not have a good impression of him. A poorly led Russia was to my benefit long term and I knew it.

Tech Growth Part VI

Potsdam
Sanssouci
November 3 1894

John Moses Browning was standing next to me. He had returned to Germany to present me with his latest project, and one I had a personal interest in. Over the past few years this new fangle self-loading pistol was starting to show up in various places. It was indeed one of the ideas I had planned in Browning’s head during the meeting that had got DWM right of first refusal for all new gun designs he was coming up with. Granted he visited Germany but that contact was already paying off in many ways.

We were both out at the target range that I had set up here. It was a bit chilly out here given the time of year, but I wanted to test his newest pistol. We had his pistol and a Borchardt C-93 that had been gifted to me earlier this year out today. We already loaded the magazines for both weapons when we had been inside as both were 7.65 mm weapons but used different ammo. The Borchardt wouldn’t cycle on the ammo that Browning had designed for his pistol even though I was fairly sure it would chamber it. The Browning pistol couldn’t accept the Borchardt ammo. And given the different in the two rounds, if you somehow managed to chamber a Borchardt round in a Browning pistol the damn slide would most likely go into your forehead given the power difference of the two rounds.

The only reason the Borchardt was even out was because Browning had requested it. Who was I do tell Saint Browning as I joking call him in the 21st century no? I had tested the Borchardt back when I got in the summer, and frankly one magazine through the Borchardt was enough for me. The balance of the weapon was horrible, and with that vertical grip the recoil was unpleasant for a 7.65 mm pistol. With the cost of the Borchardt, there was no way in hell I was going to make this the new service pistol that I was looking for. I wanted to replace the Reichsrevolver, but no way in hell would it be with the Borchardt.

I slid the magazine home in the pistol that Browning brought with him. Ah, the slide of a pistol, nothing like it I thought as I racked the pistol. The pistol in my hand reminded me of the FN 1900. If I didn’t know better, I would swear to that fact. Granted the sights suck but it was a pocket pistol meant for self defense at best. This wasn’t designed to do groups at 50 meters it was designed for point and shoot work. Yet I still took aim at the 25 yard target and pulled the trigger to see how I could do at that range.

As I started putting rounds down range I was thinking about the history of this pistol. I knew it was basically the pistol that saved Fabrique National as a gun company. At the moment they were on the ropes as a gun company. Thanks, with my talks with Mauser, the contact that had allowed FN to make the 1889 Mauser in Belgium had limited them to making only guns for the Belgian government and did not give them a license to export Mauser rifles.

With this, it was pushing DWM to expand its factories here in Germany just to keep up with demand. Plus, DWM was in talks with the Ottoman Empire about setting up a factory in Ankara to make Mauser rifles there along with ammo with FN not being able to fill the gap. It was my hope that if I was able to secure German rights to this, it would be the death nail for FN as a small arms company and allow the German Arms Industry to run the show in Europe.

Once I put the 7 rounds down range I when to pull the magazine out of the pistol. This honestly was a pain in the ass with the way Browning how designed the magazine release. But once it was out, I cleared the slide to be sure before I put the gun back on the table. “I must say Herr Browning I’m impressed with this pistol.”

Browning smiled at the praise. “Thank you, sir.” He replied. At that he offered me the Borchardt which I turned down. I had no plans on shooting that abomination again. I knew it would lead to the Luger, but the Borchardt was an abomination as far as I view it. With my refusal Browning pulled the toggle back and started to send rounds down range.

Personally, I doubted the Army would want to adopt this pistol as a sidearm. Well maybe as a general officer’s pistol, but not as a service pistol. Yet, it was likely to set the standard for pocket pistols for the foreseeable future. Indeed, once we were finished with the shooting for the day, which was only a few more magazines before we retired to somewhere warmer, I informed Browning I would like a one that was blued and with wooden grips for personal use. The only changed I asked was for a better magazine release for my personal pistol.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt III

Berlin
Stadtschloss
December 12 1894

In a few days, we would be travelling to our annual winter vacation spot at Burg Hohenzollern near Bisingen. Under the deal I made with King William, Burg Hohenzollern and a chunk of private land near it was still Prussian land, but Bisingen now fell into Württemberg domestic rule. With the holiday season nearly on us, it would be a fun time for our large family. This year I was going to be taking Wilhelm Junior out with me as we went hunting for deer. Venison was a good family dinner.

However, this year was more active than others with all the foreign affairs on going. As I was going over the papers from the foreign office I was speaking with my wife and for lack of better words soul mate about some of this. “So, do you have an opinion on the match between Alix and Nicholas?” The new Tsar having married a few weeks ago. Neither of us attendant the wedding as things were very much in flux in Russia at the moment. However, the foreign affairs people had just written up their report on it and I was reading that now.

Granted this happened a few weeks ago, but it was still the talk of Europe. Dona thought about it for a moment before answering it, “It’s as if Nicholas when into a room with 100 single women, with 99 women in that room who would made an excellent empress. He came out with the single woman who wouldn’t. She is clueless to what her role is, and will not be able to manage it.”

I thought about it for a moment. I had met Alix a few times and had never been impressed by her. But these meetings had been limited in time and scope, but still she did not leave a good impression with me. “So how will she effect Nicholas?” I will admit my knowledge of Russian history wasn’t the greatest before I ended up here. So, I was hoping Dona would have better memories on this front than my own.

“She is far too arrogant for her own good. I know she hates me because more than once I had to scolded at various social functions we were at together as she is too much a child still.” Dona paused for a moment, “She would been far better off if she would had married some minor German royal who wouldn’t rule. Maybe a British royal of some level. But as the Empress of Russia she is doomed to failure. By extension Nicholas is doomed as he leaned on Alix too much for his own good.”

I thought about that for a moment, and frankly I was fine with that for the most part. I just was hoping they would lead Russia into the madding path that was the Soviet Union. Then again fluke series of events had to happen to allow the mad piper to lead the Russians down that path. I was hoping that even with my efforts to defang the Russians that wouldn’t happen. The world would be better off without a communist nation.

Thinking about what Dona said, I when back to my papers. I turned over to the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese were surprising a lot of people. The Battle of Yalu River was the point I think everyone saw this war as something Japan could win. What impressed me with that battle was the Japanese were able to capture the Chinese armored cruiser Jingyuan. As I recalled that battle, they didn’t capture any ships. They sank a few but they didn’t capture anything till the Shandong Campaign.

For the Chinese they were in bloody disarray at this point. The Japanese controlled Port Arthur. However, what was of debate was there a massacre at that port after it fell to the Japanese. James Creelmen’s reporting was saying some 60,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers had been massacred by the Japanese after the city fell. Maximilian Harden, a reporter who I had befriended was reporting a very different story. He wasn’t denying a massacred happened, but he was reporting more a few thousand were killed at most. And most of those were Chinese soldiers who were refusing to surrender but didn’t have arms at that point. It was frankly a confusing mess with both stories being ran with by different newspapers.

What was next for the Japanese was likely something on Shandong Peninsula as that’s where the Chinese fleet had withdrawn to. How much longer before the Japanese launched such a campaign I didn’t know through. But that was the only logical move from what I could see.

Moving on to Africa, I was liking the news I was seeing it. It seemed that Baldissera wasn’t securing his positions as I had thought. No, he was basically commanding a flying column and was taking on smaller parts of Menelik’s army and destroying them. Once that was done, he would fall back for resupply and do it again. From what I was seeing my reports was he was having his soldiers collect all the rifles from dead Ethiopians after the battle was over. I didn’t know what to make of that, but given I knew Menelik’s army still had a large section of his army armed with spears, every rifle lost was one they couldn’t replace.

1894 End of Year Review

Domestic

Confederation of Saxony is formed. A bunch of micro states in Thuringia region of Germany join with the Kingdom of Saxony to form this.

Changes Within Government Personal

Generaloberst Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff named as Chief of the General Staff.

Wilhelm Solf has been named Minister of the Colonies.

Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner has been named Minister of the Interior.

Newly Signed Treaties

Not a treaty per say, but a summit has agreed to take place in The Hauge early next year.

Foreign Regions

USA

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Stable

Austria-Hungary

Stabilizing

Russia

Strained

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Augusta Victoria Armored Cruiser

10,700 tons Standard Load, 4 x 24 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm Casemates, 19 kts, Well Armored, Krupp Armor,

Augusta Victoria

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Both are in good health and sprits.

Building Up Pt VIII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
January 23 1895

This was one of those things I had been trying to get done for a while now, but for various reasons it kept getting pushed to the back burner as various kept coming up that were more pressing matters. Finally, through with the help Wilhelm Solf I was able to get this out of the Reichstag and on my desk to sign. It would be an important step to my goal of folding the colonies into Germany itself, and hopefully make the Second Reich a empire that could stand the test of time.

What this law basically did was reorganize the German colonial system. All of the colonies were coming under direct control of the Imperial Government. Prior to this it was an odd mix of Imperial Government and Private Companies that controlled some of the colonies. This would allow me a better path of bring colonies into Germany proper. Granted that wasn’t likely something I would live to see unless I lived to be a supercentenarian. Even then that was unlikely.

Further still this was reorganizing the banking system within the colonies. This act would charter three new banks that would have the right to issue currency. This would do away with the hodgepodge of currencies in use with each colony. Granted these new currencies wouldn’t have the power of the Goldmark had, but it would still be better than what was mess of currencies out there. The first bank and mint would be built in Kamerunstadt. The next one would be in Dar es Salaam, with the final batch being at Lae as to make use of the latest gold strike found within German colonial holdings.

This law however left me with a free hand to make some moves within the colonies to grow them. Talks with the British to get Walvis Bay were under way at the moment. I wanted that port to allow me to have a proper port in German Southwest Africa. Leopold II had rebuffed offers to buy the Congo Free State from him so far. The British however were supporting me in this as more and more horror stories were coming out about what was coming out of the Congo Free State. I also had my eye on a few Spanish holdings but I was waiting for the Spanish to get the asses handed to them by the United States before making my offer for them.

Finally, the last big-ticket item was the Schutztruppe being expanded. In Kamerun, German East Africa, and German Southwest Africa would be expanded to full regiments. Togoland and German New Guinea would become garrisoned by battalion size units. Is further approved the transfer of Mauser 71/84s to the Schutztruppe once the reserves within Germany itself was equipped with the Mauser 1889. That alone would be a massive increase in firepower for the Schutztruppe.

Yet, I didn’t get everything I wanted out this colonial reform. I wanted to create a colonial citizenship for the natives. I wanted that to be a reward for those natives that learned German and adopted German ways. It wouldn’t the be the same as German citizenship for native Germans but would create a number of rights for them, namely voting in elections for advisory councils that also got shot down. In the same breath through I got more funding for railways, canals, schools, and other infrastructure projects within the colonies. So, I called this a net win.

Building Up Pt IX

Siegen
Bus Station
March 8 1895

‘Ok, I’m impressed.’ Was my thought as I looked at the bus in question. Currently I was doing a tour of Germany. I did these every few months for a week or a two at a time. I would give speeches and perform groundbreaking or opening ceremonies for various things that had been partly or fully funded by the Imperial Treasury. This through was not one of those things.

I had been travelling through the Rhine speaking to industrial workers of the region. I was having to strike a fine balance with them and the SPD. Even through I was hugely popular with most Germans from all walks of life I couldn’t afford to rest on my laurels. August Bebel and his splinter party from the SPD were starting to give hints that Germany would be better ruled as a republic. I couldn’t allow that to spread into the SPD itself. So, I was working to maintain the support of the industrial workers.

On that tour through I heard about this bus company setting up shop. Granted it was a short run between Siegen and Netphen, a run of about 7 kilometers one way. Which honestly wasn’t that great of a distance. But they were using a petrol power bus to do this run. I hadn’t known about this or else I would had made a point to be on the first bus trip. Yet I made my way down to Westphalia on the last leg of my tour to take a look at this.

I then paid my 10 Pfennig price for a ticket and boarded the bus. Granted this was largely a show ride and not a normally schedule run by the bus, I still was doing paying the fair. I was taking this bus trip with local leaders. Once we were all seated the bus started its 7 kilometer trip to the other station. Given the power of the engine and the poor roads it was not going be a quick trip. It was at that point I started to speak, if loudly to the local elected leaders.

This talk was about local issues, but I did follow along and talk with them. It was various topics, one I kept returning to was infrastructure. I was a firm believer in building up infrastructure. One thing that did come up was a small outbreak of cholera that happened last summer. I had heard of this but it was a small outbreak that didn’t need my direct attention.

However, this gave me an opening to bring up the idea I had a while ago but after looking at various cost, I decided my first idea was not practical. This idea was to use stainless steel for a public water system. Krupp had filed for patents for stainless steel now which had made me look at the math. After doing some back of the envelope calculation I decided that using stainless steel was impractical for cost reasons alone. So, I when back to the drawing board and talked to a few respected civil engineers to come up with plan b for this.

The goal I wanted was to end water borne disease within Germany. This would make Germany healthier on the whole along with bring a massive amount of work to Germany. Even more so since it was likely in about 30 to 50 years it would need replacement. So, I was using this time to pitch the idea of an imperially funded public water system to the local officials. They on the other hand was pushing for a tram system to help transport the growing work force of their city and the region in general.

I will admit that wasn’t something that hadn’t cross my mind before now. I would admit it was a good idea, but if I had to choose, I wanted the public water system first. I was hoping the Reichstag would act on this first as I didn’t even have an idea for putting a tram system in place. The more I thought about that on the bus ride the more I thought that one might have to be left to the member states. Maybe I could grease the wheels on that through. It was something to think about.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt IV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 2 1895

I looked at the Japanese Ambassador and I wished I had better news to give him but I didn’t. “I wish there was a better word than apology, but I must apology as there is nothing my nation can do to help yours at the present time.”

Just like I thought the Japanese had crushed the Chinese in this war they had been fighting. The issue through was over the small piece of the Liaodong Peninsula the Japanese wanted. The Japanese wanted to annex Port Arthur and give them a springboard for a latter annexation of Manchuria. However, Russia was still seeking its long fable ice free port that wasn’t pinned in by the Turkish Straits. They viewed Port Arthur as that port even through it was at the ass end of nowhere, well for them anyways. Well away from their limited industrial base and their heartland with no overland connection to it as of the moment.

That notwithstanding, they had objected to the Japanese annexing the small tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. They had brought the French along to object as well. Hell, they had even tried to get me to object with them, but I had refused. I wanted the Japanese as an ally and I had no interest in strengthen the Russians as that would run counter to my long-term plans. Given the piss poor state of relations between our nations I was honestly surprised they asked.

I could see the Japanese ambassador looking for anything to say to try and find a way to bring Germany in on her side. “Your majesty, surely your nation can’t stand for this abuse of a neighbor of Russia.” Japan was now seeking my help in standing up to the Russians.

“As I stated, my hands are tied in this. Your nation is not tied to my nation via an alliance treaty, and I can’t provoke a war with Russia for your benefit. I’m sorry this is the case as I believe you had rightfully won Port Arthur, but my hands are tied in this matter.”

There was a moment of silence before I spoke again. “Uchida, to help keeping this from happening in the future we must forge stronger ties between our nations. Ties that end in a treaty of alliance as Russia plans to conqueror all it sees before it, and the only way to stop them is to build a united front.”

Uchida was still looking for an answer to get my support to allow Japan to keep Port Arthur. I really wish I could help him and Japan, but I just couldn’t. “Our actions mean nothing to you?”

He was speaking to the part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki where the Japanese forcing the Chinese to repay the loan Germany made to Japan at the start of the war, with full interest with silver tael. Given the Chinese were being forced to make that payment now, it was netting Germany a nice profit. That silver would be a nice boost. “They do, but I can’t take my nation to force of arms against the Russians to allow you to take the port. Give it time through, the Russians will be hoist on their own petard.”

Uchida eye brow raised at that comment. The Italians were doing better than I had expected against the Ethiopians. There had been no Adwa as of yet. Instead there was a string of unbroken Italian victories so far. Baldissera so far through hadn’t met the main forces of Menelik. Instead he was going for a very Sun Tzu approach of war attacking where Menelik wasn’t expecting and running his army all over the place. However, Menelik to date hadn’t been able to catch Baldissera. It was clear the Russians were starting to become worried about the fate of their Orthodox brothers. If Baldissera could keep this up, the Russians might try to force the Italians to give up their war against Ethiopia as well.

“If the Russians keep throwing their weight around, sooner rather than later the world will unite against the Russians and check them. That time however is not now Uchida. Instead let’s talk about making sure this does not happen again.” I wanted to strengthen my ties with Japan and this would make a damn good start.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt V

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 16 1895

“That madman!” I all but yelled once I was alone. I couldn’t vent like that in front of anyone, but I was hoping mad. “Is that fucking moron trying to start a war!”

The madman or moron depending what my thought process was at that given moment was Russian Foreign Minister Aleksey Lobanov-Rostovsky. He had been a leading figure in forcing Japan to give up its annexation of Liaodong Peninsula last month. I also had battled with him in the past as I tried to grow my influence within the Ottoman Empire. Influence that had allowed me to become a minority stake holder in the Antalya-Ankara-Aleppo Railway that had just been set up. Even if that had been under my pseudonym that I was using for various business ventures that I didn’t want to be directly linked to. My playing in the Ottoman Empire was running into other interest there and had gotten push back from the Russians, British, and French. The Italians were too poor to play there, and the US didn’t care.

For the better part of the last seven months I had been trying to get an international summit to take place in The Hauge. Yet, with the Italians on the war path in Africa and the Sino-Japanese War had caused it to be delayed. This not withstanding the fact I wasn’t going for The Hauge Convention on trying to make warfare less brutal. It was more focused on codifying diplomatic rights of the host nation and those sent by other nations. Yet everyone had agreed that trying to that while a war was on going was not the best time to try and do that.

The war in Asia was over with Japan being the clear victor, even if that victory had been lessened by being forced to withdraw their claims from the Liaodong Peninsula. They still walked away with Formosa and a few other small islands. Plus, they had gotten the cost of the war paid for and then some by the Chinese. Some of that money was finding its way into my nation as Japan was using it to build themselves up even further than they already had.

It however was the war in Africa that had caused my outburst. The Italians under Baldissera had just pulled off a major victory over Menelik within the past week. Rumors were running around that Menelik was dead, but I haven’t seen anything that confirmed that or not. The door was however open to Addis Ababa now based on what I was seeing. The Ethiopians were generally out of artillery and maybe only had a tenth of the rifles they had at the start of the war. If the Italians had the logistical chops to get to Addis Ababa through was another story all together through.

That victory by the Italians at Sufan had spooked the Russians and they had badly over reached. This had caused another crisis in Europe. The question I had would it lead to a wider European War now or not. I honestly didn’t want one till around 1910 or so. That way I can have my army reequipped with modern gear, well modern by the current time, and trained with it. Plus, the improved infrastructure net to support it. Time was my ally.

It took me a few moments before I was calm enough to think again. I wasn’t about to go to war over Ethiopia of all places. Hell going to war over the Liaodong Peninsula made more sense than this. With the Russians over reaching I might be able to find a way to work with the British who I knew had their own designs on Ethiopia to end this peacefully. If I thought about it even the French wouldn’t want to go to war over this. God what caused the Russians to panic this badly and send this note to the Italians.

But I put pen to paper and started to work out a way to end this before it got out of hand.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VI, Look Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 9 2020

There was a buzz within the student body within the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm. In the long and story history of Kaiserliche Raumfahrtbehörde Foresti 5 might be the biggest feather in their cap to date. Take off of Foresti 5 was set to take place around 7 pm tonight. Many of the science majors who leaning to space fields were throwing a rare party to watch the launch on holoversion tonight. If the Foresti 5 launched worked as planned it would achieve a number of first and remind the space agencies of the Shanghai Pact that the KR was still firmly in the lead of space exploration.

Ph.D. Candidate Zuzanna Vogel entered the classroom and could hear the students talking about various things. She had a good hunch what the students were talking about. With the way the AS was set up, she knew all of her students were taking her class as part their general education section. This was because they were all hard science majors, or would be once they moved on to proper universities. Usually once students got this far into AS they made it on to the promise of the free university education that the AS made.

“Students, I know Forseti is making history tonight, but we need to focus on the history that has already been made.” Zuzanna said.

With that the class started to quiet down. Once the class was quiet Zuzanna started to talk again. “Today we are picking up with the Rostovsky Telegram Crisis.”

At that Zuzanna took a moment to explain the Rostovsky Telegram Crisis to the class. The crisis itself was critical to understand in the lead up to World War One and how the alliance web led to where it did. The crisis was spark by the Italian victory at Sufan in the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Menelik was badly wounded in that battle, and many believed those wounds would lead to his death in 1898. Indeed, it was a great victory for the Italians as it broke Menelik’s Army to the point it couldn’t be more than a speed bump to any other army than the Italians.

However, Sufan took a lot out of the Italians. Plus, the war was straining Italian finances which was still feeling the effects of the Panic of 1893 with the Italians being one of the worse effected European nations in that panic along with their own missteps in their economic policies. The Italians under Baldissera weren’t in a position to give chase to the batted Army that Menelik had led at Sufan. It needed time to resupply and reorganize. Further news of the Sufan Massacre hadn’t made it out by the time Rostovsky sent the telegram that spark the crisis.

For the Russians they viewed the Ethiopians as their brothers. Even if they were wayward brothers, they were still orthodox brothers. To allow them be under the control of Rome was unacceptable. Plus, with the growing reemergence within the halls of Winterpalast that Russia was the true successor to the Roman Empire, led to this step being taken. Even through the Russians lacked the power projection to truly help Ethiopia as they were still hunting for their long fable warm water port that wasn’t blocked by the Turkish Straits. What the note did through was make it look like a general European War was about to start.

“Kaiser Wilhelm would play a critical role in defusing the crisis.” Zuzanna when on. Indeed, it was his actions during this crisis that would raise questions later did he have a master plan or was just an opportunist. “A week after the crisis started, Wilhelm passed what would become known as Potsdam Note. It was honestly a masterpiece of thinking that was face saving for everyone. For the Italians it would allow them to control both the Tigray province and Ogaden region. It would give the French a strip of land out of Wello and Hararghe Provinces that would form the border of French Somaliland[1]. The British would gain a protectorate over the Sidamo Region. The rights of the Treaty of Wuchale which the even that would lead to the war in the first place would be transferred to the Russians from the Italians.”

At that point Zuzanna took a sip from her coffee mug before going on. “Given the Russians hadn’t informed the French beforehand, this made the note from Wilhelm look very good from their point of view. They would secure their piece of Somaliland. Further they wouldn’t have to face off the new wonder artillery as it was called at the time that was entering the service of the Heer. Something the French wouldn’t have an answer to for another three years. The Italians would gain control of a large part of land they wanted without having to pay for the cost of occupying all of Ethiopia which there were some who viewed it as something they couldn’t afford. The British gained a protectorate over a region that had valuable coffee plantations.”

“This gave all three major powers with the ability to project power in the region something they wanted. It allowed Russia to save face by gaining its own protectorate, if on a decaying Ethopia who’s borders where ill-defined at the time. They however were depended on the French to get to and from Ethiopia. With all the other powers gaining something from this and none of them wanting a general European War forced the Russians to accept this frame work to end the war in Ethiopia.”

“Even through Russia gained something out this, their prestige took a hit. Together with other reckless actions…”

[1] OTL Borders plus the border towns of Dewele to Asaita.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VII

The Hauge
Huis ten Bosch
August 3 1895

German Foreign Minister Paul von Hatzfeldt was surveying the room. This was the second day of this summit that had been the project of his sovereign Wilhelm the Second. Yet Wilhelm himself wasn’t coming to this event, as no other reigning royals were coming. Paul knew that was something of a let down to Wilhelm who wanted be here. Yet, Wilhelm trusted him enough to achieve the goals he wanted here.

Paul would be rewarded for his help in defusing the Rostovsky Telegram Crisis. Wilhelm might had hit on the idea that ended the crisis peacefully, but it was Hatzfeldt and his ministry that made it a workable idea. He had already been informed that in the January honor rolls that would be announced that he would be risen to the rank of Herzog from his current rank of Graf. It would be announced that this elevation in rank was for services to the Empire, but Hatzfeldt knew this was for his services in handing the crisis. He through had been asked to keep it quiet, but Paul knew it was Wilhelm’s way of saying thank you for his help.

Hatzfeldt knew his master was up do something with this given the goals of the treaty he was hoping to gain out of this. What was through in the long run he wasn’t sure through. Wilhelm was a cagy man who in Hatzfeldt’s opinion had a plan. What that plan was through he couldn’t figure out. Through it wouldn’t be Hatzfeldt for much longer trying to figure out what that plan was. His health was just starting to fail him. When he had informed Wilhelm of his problems and his wish to retire, Wilhelm had been supported but did ask for him long enough to finish this conference and help him in selecting a replacement for his office. He had agreed to the request, but his retirement was at most six months away at this point.

As to what Wilhelm was trying to achieve here was a set of international laws in which diplomats such as himself could operate in. Wilhelm wanted to create what he was calling limited diplomatic immunity for all members of the foreign services of various nations. Under this limited immunity they could in theory be briefly detained by police services of the member nation they were in, but only for the public safety. Once identified as a diplomatic they would be brought back to the embassy or consulate building with a report on why they had been detained. Hatzfeldt had honestly wanted to push for full immunity but Wilhelm was set on limited immunity.

Unknown to Hatzfeldt this push for limited diplomatic immunity was built off another time and place. Wilhelm knew of the abuses that diplomats took with their full immunity granted them. Not all their abuses made the front page, but still it was generally abused to hell and back. Some of his family members who had lived in the Washington DC-NOVA area had told him horror stories of kids driving cars with diplomatic tag cars that were driving like a bat out of hell with the local police unable to do anything. Or drunken diplomats driving themselves home.

Further still the Russian efforts to spy on the forts around Pillau reminded him of how the Russian diplomats would abuse their immunity back in the time he once lived. He wanted to further tamp down on abuse of diplomatic immunity to spy on the host nation. He knew his own diplomat corp did that as well, but he didn’t want it to become its primary focus. He wanted them to be focused on building bridges not burning them down. However, it was the events around Pillau that was Wilhelm’s cover for pushing for limited immunity.

With this Wilhelm hoped to stem the abuse of diplomatic immunity he knew from the world he came from. Granted there were other goals that were being taken on here in The Hauge, but Wilhelm wanted to stem that abuse. It wouldn’t be perfect, but at least it would be an improvement if everything worked out in the end.

Diplomatic Colonial Efforts Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
October 18 1895

I was currently waiting for the new British Ambassador to my nation to arrive for this meeting. He was coming here to presenting his diplomatic credentials which would officially start his ambassadorship here in Berlin. Given this I was currently in my diplomatic uniform that I used when I received these credentials. These had changed within the past year as part of my efforts to reshape Germany into something that could stand the test of time.

The waffenrock had remained, but it had changed to make it clear it was not a military uniform. Further diplomats could no longer wear their reserve officer uniforms when performing official diplomatic functions of the state. In place of the waffenfarbe of the military uniform was gold inlay system that honestly, I thought was ungodly. I however could only push things so far so fast without having blow back. Currently there was a rank system where you could tell what rank someone when in the diplomatic uniform. The most common rank would be the one with limited inlay on the collar with them being issued to senior officials who weren’t ambassadors. Then there was the ambassador rank with more inlay. Then there were two steps above that with even more inlay on the color for both of them. One was for my foreign minister, then there was mine, and I honestly hate it. But there was little I could do about it in the foreseeable future.

My aide came in with all the prompt this event demanded and informed me of the fact the new British Ambassador Sir Frank Lascelles had arrived and was here to present his credentials. I gave the reply that I needed to. At that Sir Frank Lascelles entered the room I was standing in. He too was wearing a uniform, but it was the court uniform of the British Empire. Looking at that made me decide maybe the German diplomatic uniform wasn’t so bad as that thing if possible was worse.

Once he was close enough to me, he bowed. He then spoke with all the proper speak of a diplomat before he handed me his credentials to me. I replied with the proper diplomatic speak and accepted the credentials. We then shook hands just as I accepted the credentials. The bloody credentials were written in French, so I honestly had no idea what the hell it was saying. Yet French was the tongue of international diplomatic circles at the moment and used for these kinds of events.

After that we both turned and smiled for the camera man that was set up to take this photo. Once the photo was taken, we both retired to a smaller room that I liked to use for one on one conversations with people. Here we talked as we got a feel for each other. There was the various small talk as we both in English. Then we moved on to deeper subjects, namely colonial efforts by both our empires.

In Africa the British were just starting another small colonial war. This was against the Ashanti Empire around the British Gold Coast. I was supporting the British here where I could as this was right next to Togoland. It was also a gesture of good will to the British who I knew wanted the valuable resources that the Ashanti Empire controlled. This war I knew nothing about from my history but that told me it was nothing of importance in the grand scheme of things.

Then there was the building crisis in Southern Africa between the Cape Colony and Transvaal Republic. Here again I was supporting the British as frankly I didn’t like the Boers all that much. Yeah I knew the Boers were sitting on a crap ton of resources but I was never going to get my hands on it. So supporting the British here was the smart play as it cost me nothing, but moved me into better standing with Westminster.

Moving on from there, I was doing my best to build up British support to buy the Congo Free State from Leopold. With some of my agents working on the propaganda war against Leopold’s rule there was really picking up with some steam. I also knew that the Belgian government had no want of an African Empire. Right now, the sticking point was over what I would give the British for their support in this effort. My current offer was rights to build Cecil Rhodes to build his Cape to Cairo Railway without him having to pay for rights to lay track through my colony. Yet the problem was Rhodes himself. He wanted German East Africa under British control, which I really didn’t want to give up. I think a lot of this had to do with the gold boom that was happening around Lake Victoria and the Sachsenwald Strike there. I was using this to get Germans to migrate to the region and build up a German presence in the region.

Yet many in London didn’t want to take over running the cost of running another colony. Yet with what I knew was coming in Southern Africa I was hoping Rhodes would be discredited enough to allow me get the British to support me in forcing Leopold to sell to me. The question through was when would public pressure reach enough that we could force it on Leopold, as that moment wasn’t now.

Tech Growth Part VII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 27 1895

I was currently working on a paper outlining my “discovery” of the element Neon. This was part of the patent process along with informing the wider scientific world of this. My time working with noble gases was coming to an end through. All that was left to find at this point was Xenon. Of the noble gas that I still had the rights to my patents to or haven’t found yet, Xenon had the most use as far as I could remember. Neon and Krypton, a paper on its discovery that had published earlier this year had more limited uses. In Krypton’s case it was niche use if I remembered correctly. The tech through for Xenon wasn’t there, so once I had a system to isolated I most likely would be leaving noble gases behind.

Argon had netted me a nice profit, even if under the name of Countess Sophia. I still had money inflowing from those patents even through I sold them off to Krupp for further development as I lacked the time and space needed to build Argon behind the point, I had taken it through. Krupp was now working with Bayer AG on further development of Argon tech. I knew Krupp was hoping to use Argon to advance their work in steelmaking, but I was hearing from Bayer wanted to started to go down its own path as well. I was hoping the two would work out a deal to allow them to go down the line Bayer wanted to.

With me putting noble gases behind me in the near future I was wondering what would be the next task I put myself into. There was some thought within of returning to my roots within the petrochemical field. Bakelite would jump start the electrical industry, but for the life of me I was drawing a blank on how to make Bakelite at the moment. I had also thought about reaching out to Leo Baekeland to see if he could help. Then again, he had rebuffed our offer to come to Germany, so I wasn’t sure if he was someone I should contact again.

The other two fields I was thinking about doing was very different. One would see me return to that unfinished paper I had sitting in a vault on the Haber Process that I had written during my last pregnancy. I wasn’t sure if the technology base of the world could support it or not yet. The other was a more general chemical approach instead of narrow focus. Each had pros and cons, but I still had time to make up my mind through.

As my alarm clock when off I briefly pounder about figuring out how to do chromatography. Yet I knew I had to push science out of my mind as I was starting to get ready for the event I needed to travel to. As the German Empress I had to take part in many court events. Today I was hosting a party that was meant to promote German unity as we were stronger together. It’s a message both me and Wilhelm had been hitting on and it seem that a new German identity was building and honestly starting to spread. But the seed was stilling taking root, much more work needed to be done to make sure it bloomed fully and beautifully.

1895 End of Year Review

Domestic

Colonial Reorganization Act of 1895

This law ended the odd mix of private company and imperial held colonial holdings and brought all German colonies under direct Imperial control. It also chartered three banks that were tasked with normal banking issues along with issuing currency for colonial use. A few pieces of colonial infrastructure are also funded under this act.

Clean Water Act of 1895

Under this law, funding was set up so local governments could build water supply systems that were safe and help end water borne disease within Germany.

Changes Within Government Personal

Wilhelm von Schoen is named as Foreign Minister.

Newly Signed Treaties

The Hague Convention on Diplomatic Law

Under this treaty the scope of diplomatic immunity is defined. The Ambassador or the highest-ranking diplomat in the nation has full diplomatic immunity, along with their family. Visiting heads of states and their families along with various senior officials on state visits also enjoy full diplomatic immunity.

The carriage carrying the ambassador/senior diplomat with displace a special tag to notify the local police of their status. Only in the event of emergencies shall this carriage be used by anyone other than the ambassador/senior diplomat. No family members shall have the right to use this carriage. For heads of state or other senior officials shall have to work with the host nation for a carriage with these rights.

All other diplomats have limited diplomatic immunity. They can be arrested by police, but only in the event that this is for public safety. However, these arrests shall not be taken to jail. Instead these diplomats who have been arrested shall be taken to the embassy or consulate general and released to the senior diplomat present who must sign for the arrested diplomat or family member of the staff who also enjoys limited diplomatic immunity.

Within 72 hours of such an arrest an initial report from the arresting police officer shall be filed with the foreign ministry of their nation. This report shall be passed on to the diplomatic service that caused this chain of events to happen within 24 hours of it being turned over. Following this they shall have another 72 hours to review this initial report. If they wish they may protest the arrest. If a protest is logged, then this will be moved on to international arbitration phase which will go over the events that led to the arrest and the aftermath. If no protest is filed then an official final report will be filed within six months of the arrest.

This treaty also outlines the right of the host nation to declare people persona non grata. However, what will trigger a diplomat or their families being declared a persona non grata is left to each nation.

Foreign Regions

USA

Stabilizing

Britain

Improving

France

Slightly Improving, but still ice cold over all

Italy

Improving

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Poor

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

7.7 cm Feldkanone 95

Mass: 1,290 kg
Barrel Length: L/31
Crew: 5
Recoil: Hydraulic
Breech: Horizontal Breech Block
Carriage: Pole Carriage
Rate of Fire: 4 RPM (Sustained) or 15 RPM (Burst fire)

Kaiser Karl der Grosse Class Battleships

14,090 tons Standard Load, 4 x 30.5 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 18 kts, well armored/Krupp Cemented Armor

Kaiser Karl der Grosse
Kaiser Barbarossa

Odin Class Coastal Defense Ships

5,150 tons Standard Load, 6 x 24 cm L/40s in Triples, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 15 kts, well armored/Krupp Cemented Armor

1 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm and Dona are both in good health and sprits.

Tech Growth Part VIII

Berlin
Otto Lilienthal’s Workshop
January 7 1896

I had becoming the patron of two things since my rise to being the Kaiser of Germany. The first was the more tradition patronage to take up, which was music. Turns out I was a fan of the works of Beethoven which was a far cry from the country music I once listened to. Yet I couldn’t ask someone to sing Cash’s Cocaine Blues or God’s Gonna Cut You Down. Honestly, I might only be able to get the lyrics written, as the music part was something I couldn’t figure out. Still listing to Beethoven was a good time.

As for the other thing I had become a patron of, it was science. Through unlike music where I directly funded various people and symphonies, for science I had founded the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society. This was to help me deal a host of issues that would come up with funding science projects, along with other projects such as math and engineering. Even with that, I had built a reputation as someone who loved new technology.

One area of science and technology in general that I had a keen interest in was that of flight. In a few weeks’ time I would be travelling south to Lake Constance to see Graf Zeppelin’s proof of concept Zeppelin. I was hoping he would have the problems ironed out in his design and we could go to a full-scale prototype. Frankly I wanted a few Zeppelins for reconnaissance use for the military till heavier than air fight took off and became a useful thing. Given the fact he had taken almost five years to redesign and rework along with filing for a few new patents gave me hope it would work.

Today through I was visiting with Otto Lilienthal again. I was hoping to keep him alive and push him to achieving the world’s first power flight. This was because I didn’t want to deal with the Wright Brothers and their endless litigation defending their patents. I didn’t know how things played out here in Europe in general but I do know the Wright Brothers handicapped the American aeronautical industry for over a decade. That was something I didn’t want happening here as I wanted a large and vibrant aeronautical industry to form here in Germany.

It was simply too cold to fly today through. What Lilienthal was showing off was his newest invention, a wind tunnel. I had planted this seed within his head a few years ago in the hope it would help keep him alive. Now he was showing me it with his latest model that he had planned to build. Yet as he was showing this to me, he was explaining after testing this design in the wind tunnel he noticed that it had bad stall habits. So, he had started a new design which he was hoping to have ready in the a few more months.

This was welcomed news to me, as I knew from my history that a glider that he had been flying had stalled and he couldn’t recover. It was that stall that had led to his crash that killed him. It was this that gave me hope he would be the first person to achieve powered heavier than air flight. Maybe even before the turn of the century based on the drawings, he was showing me for his latest glider.

Reforms Pt V

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 15 1896

After having some talks with the SPD, I made them see that their goal of an eight-hour work day wasn’t in the cards yet. Maybe in the future, but at the moment there wasn’t the political support to pass that. Part of me was glad there wasn’t, even though I believed Germany would need an eight-hour work day sooner rather than later. That reason was because the economy was running full till at the moment with the figures, I’m seeing putting unemployment around 3.7 to 4%. So, we were at full employment, and there were still more jobs starting up. Its why I wasn’t pushing for more infrastructure acts at the moment, another one would be having a hard time finding workers to build whatever was funded.

Even through migration out of Germany to the New World had dropped, there were still those who were seeking their way outside the Fatherland. Based on my reforms and efforts, there had only been some 250,000 who had left Germany to seek their way in the New World. That was half from the start of the century where it was close to 600,000 per year leaving Germany. I would like to get that number even lower, but I was please I had been able to cut the flow of Germans leaving the Fatherland by that much. I would like to get more than the 8,000 I had last year to travel to the colonies to help Germanize those lands through. But that was a work in progress.

The main reason I was against the eight-hour work day at the moment because it would most likely tank the economy at the moment. The pay of workers was already rising which was getting more money into the economy by them having more money to buy things. It was also help create a middle class which would be critical to my future plans. The only way I could get an eight-hour work day to work would be if I got people to start migrating into Germany instead of leaving it so there were more people to go around and do the many more jobs that would create. And that was a third rail I didn’t want to touch at the moment.

So, in these talks with SPD leadership I got them to focus on child labor laws instead of an eight hour day. There was support there to do something. So after about a year of debate and deal making with the other various parties within the Reichstag, then a deal being stuck with the Bundesrat they finally got a bill to me to sign. Honestly even if not as sweeping as I would had liked, it was still a sweeping act.

Under the Child Labor Act, it flat out banned children under the age of 12 from working all together save for those working on family farms. This was being built off an 1839 Prussian law, but it did have better means of enforcement than that law. A law as far as I could tell had largely been toothless in its ability to enforce it whereas this had the backbone to back it up. Those from the ages of 12 to 16 could work, but only in light industries. The list of light industries was to keep those kids out of factories where the increasing use of heavy machinery would possibly cripple them before they were 16. But working on a family farm was being allowed.

For those in the ages range of 12 to 16 they could only work 48 hours per week. They further couldn’t work at all between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am. Also work on Sunday by these children was banned. Then there was the total ban of these children from entering mines as part allowing them to only work in light industries.

I knew it wasn’t perfect. That farm cause was going to be used to hell and back by parents who worked from their home in small craft industries. Still through it was better than nothing. I was hoping this law would cause an increase in the number of students who were enrolled in schools. However, only time would tell. In a few years I guess I would fine out as this wouldn’t be enforced for a year. This was too allowed those who were currently using child labor a way to wind that down before they started to face the penalties this new law allowed for.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VIII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
March 29 1896

The Jameson Raid had when off just as badly as I knew it would. So far, I had been quiet on the subject as I wasn’t making Willy’s mistake of sending a telegram to Paul Kruger congratulating him on defeating the raid. So far when asked my foreign ministry was following my path of silence on the matter. I did have interest in Southern Africa, but not that far south unless I rolled the hard six multiple times in a row. So silence on the subject was my friend at the moment.

For the Boers the Jameson Raid had spooked them. Within days of the raid being in their prison cells they had sent a team to look in Europe for more weapons. The Boers didn’t have a standing army as most of us in Europe understood it. They had a small artillery force that were regulars. However, the overwhelming part of their military were the Boer Commandos, a militia. A militia that was to have their own horse and rifle with enough ammo for said rifle for battle.

The problem for the Boers was the majority of their commandos were equipped with single shot falling block rifles. Rifles that were badly out of date. I knew from my history they got their hands on some Lee-Speed Rifles and lord knows what else with that failed raid. Kruger was many things, but an idiot wasn’t one of them. He knew he would need better weapons if he was to have any chance of defending his nation from the British. Its why there was a Boer team at Oberndorf looking as Mauser’s rifles and pistols.

Currently the British had bigger issues than the Boers to deal with through. The Jameson Raid had used the majority of the British South Africa Police Force in the raid. Even through the Boers had handed over the raiders to the British to stand trial, it had left a power vacuum within Southern Rhodesia. A power vacuum that the Shona and Matabele were using the rise up again being ruled by the British South Africa Company. I doubt it would work through. It didn’t in the history I knew because I knew what happened in Southern Rhodesia in that history even if I didn’t know of this revolt.

My butler came in an informed me of my guest. I then told him to show him in. Speaking in English after that, “It’s good to see you Ambassador Lascelles.” I said after getting up to stand to greet the man.

Ambassador Lascelles bowed, “It’s good for you to see your majesty.”

With that we both took our seats. “So has your government given any thought to the offer I made?”

“While yes we have and we accept your terms.”

“This is good news. I will inform the people who need to know about this. I will work to make sure this is carried out as planned.” I had to keep from smiling, but I knew a butt load of gold and diamonds were about to enter my economy.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt IX

Brussels
Royal Palace of Brussels
May 5 1896

I was please with how things had been going so far this year. The deal I stuck with the British was going to a fruitful deal. It would increase diplomatic ties between our nations and give them something they really wanted which in turn would give me something I really wanted. Plus, it was allowing me to get paid by the Boer for rifles and ammo they would never get. Given that the Boer were paying in gold instead of currency was a nice boost. With the order being for 30,000 rifles and a half a million rounds of ammo it was a juicy contact that Mauser had stuck with the Boer.

Under the deal I had with the British, I would privately make sure that shipment would never reach the Boers. Currently Mauser was backlogged with orders. That was largely thanks to me killing FN’s ability to sell Mauser rifles internationally. So, it would take about nine to ten months before that work on that order would be started. Once that contact had been finished it would be shipped via the Hamburg American Line. Only I was making sure that ship was an older ship and had an accident in the North Sea. With that HAL would be able to collect insurance money from Lloyd’s of London as well and the Boer wouldn’t have their new rifles. It sucks to be them, but they weren’t my concern.

Currently I was helping to fund the growth of the German merchant marine. This honestly was a tricky balance as I didn’t want to spook the British. So as part of deal I created to help put government funding into all the German based shipping companies was don’t get into a pissing match for the Blue Riband with the British lines. I hadn’t come out and said that but the text was such that it was clear don’t think about pushing the speed up to win awards on passenger ships.

As part of the deal with the British I had granted them the right to build their Cape to Cairo Railway. Frankly I was fine with that. It would help build up German East Africa and I wasn’t even paying for it! To me that was a win-win. However, I was allowing the British pay the natives less than the white man unlike what I was enforcing the rest of my colonial empire with German companies. I had reasons for that, as I wanted them to see that other Europeans thought less of them. Plus, it wasn’t a hill worth dying on so I wasn’t. Yes, there would be push back, but I could live with it.

Yet the other part of the deal was why I was here in Belgium today getting ready to see Leopold, the King of the Belgians. They had agreed to support me in my plan to buy the Congo Free State from Leopold. I had travelled to Belgium to start talking with Leopold about price and making the transfer happen. I had my Minister of the Colonies Wilhelm Solf with me, along with the Right Honorable Joseph Chamberlin to make it clear that I had the support of the British.

I did find it funny that I had the father of Neville Chamberlin working with me to force the sell of a colony. Oh, the irony. It was a shame I couldn’t share it with anyone other than Dona through. It cracked me up. On a personal level I didn’t like the man, but I had my uses for him. He was a supporter of an Anglo-German alliance and it helped that his interest in Africa was in West Africa whereas my interest was Central Africa. Its not saying I wasn’t building up Togoland, but my focus was on creating Mittelafrika.

We were all making small talk at the moment as we were waiting. We had been in the waiting room for more than 30 minutes past the point we should had been shown in to meet with Leopold to start our meeting. For whatever reason through he was keeping us waiting. Then his butler came out, “I’m sorry sirs, but his majesty does not wish to meet with you gentlemen today.”

‘Well, that’s rude.’ I thought.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 29 1896

The newest crisis that had sprung up in Europe was being felt as no one had expected it. Leopold had really put his foot in his mouth with that stunt of making me wait than refusing to see me and the other important people that had been with me after making us wait. The Belgian Foreign Office tried to make things right when it learned of Leopold’s stupid move but it had been hours after the fact and the damage had already been done by that point. Both the British and German publics were reacting badly to this move by Leopold. Even the Belgian people thought this was a bad idea by Leopold.

From my sources Leopold was hopping mad that London had backed my efforts to take away his play toy in the Congo. To point he was screaming profane words into the air at no one in frustration. This was with the Congo Free State starting to become profitable again. A lot of that was based on rubber export, and that was red rubber at that. Leopold wanted to recoup his money then make money hand over fist. But if I bought him out, he most likely would only make a small one-time profit. Which he found insulting.

There was a small minority calling for war in both Germany and the United Kingdom. I didn’t want war for this, instead I was using this to try and drive the price of what I would pay for the Congo Free State down. My goal through was to make sure Leopold would lose money now where prior to this I would been fine with him making a small profit in this deal. That good will however when out the window when Leopold had decided to play the petty child.

At the moment through the French was trying to worm their way into this. For a reason I didn’t know the French brought back a modified Talleyrand plan to divide Belgium. It however design to give me the shaft in Europe with only sight border adjustments in my favor. It did increase the size of the Free State of Antwerp slight as well. But the biggest winner if we when through this would be the French. And I did not want the French to gain all that industry.

The French also wanted to divide the Congo Free State, with them getting the biggest gains. Even if their plans would hand me the most profitable bits, it was almost as if the French weren’t trying to hide the fact they were looking out for themselves first. It honestly was a shame they were disgracing Talleyrand’s plan like this. Honestly, I had a higher opinion of Talleyrand than Bismarck even before I ended up in this body. With the French still a threat to British interest in West Africa and they both still fighting over Morocco and Egypt it was unlikely these efforts would be taken seriously by anyone.

Now the question was what would it take to get Leopold to break and give up on the idea he could hold on the Congo Free State now that two great powers had been insulted and both didn’t want him holding it anymore. My current offer stood at 12.5 million pounds sterling which was far less the offer I would had made earlier this month.

Yet in the mean time as we waited to hear if the Belgians would force Leopold to back down or not, the British and I had come to another deal. This one had been in the works for a while but it took till now to get it over the finish line. It made clear what our Spheres of Influence would be in China. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t get them to allow me make a colony out of Hainan even if they didn’t understand my interest there. They however were fine with me having a SOI in the Shandong region so I was starting to work on building that. But given the hot mess China was, that was going to be a fun challenge.

As for colonial matters, they had agreed to hand over Walvis Bay to me. In return I would return the what I knew as the Caprivi Strip to the British. Frankly I had never wanted that strip so that was a net win to dump that back on the British. However, to sweeten the pot the Lado Enclave would be returned to British control on the final treaty to buy the Congo Free State. Further all islands in the Solomon Island Archipelago to the south and east of the Shortland Islands would be handed over the British. That left me in control of Bougainville with a couple of buffer islands between it and the British Solomon Island Colony.

Right now, we were all waiting for Leopold to come to his senses and agree before the deal for him and Belgium got worse.

The Polish Question Pt I

Posen
Town Hall
July 14 1896

While Wilhelm was having fun in London, working to find a peaceful end to cluster that Leopold had created, I was getting to have some fun in my own right. The Russians were cracking down hard in Vistula Land right now. Ever since Wilhelm had given the Poles of Posen some rights such as allowing Polish as a language in their places of education and even in official government business, the Polish people in Vistula Land had been pushing for the same thing in their lands. When Alexander III was running Russia, he had been quietly trying to get this to stop.

The same could not be said for Nicholas. He was much harsher with the Poles in Vistula Land. Counting trees in Siberia was becoming a new hobby for a number of Poles who had been arrested for even the idea they were link to the protest demanding them to be allowed used Polish in an official capacity in Vistula Land. This had led to a new exodus of Polish people from Vistula Land who were running to keep from suffering this fate. Even more so as Nicholas was moving to close down the universities within Vistula Land, and move them to Russia proper.

Across the border in Austria-Hungary things were mixed there. At this point Wilhelm was more popular that Franz Joseph in Galicia. Hell, Wilhelm was far better liked than Franz Joseph in most parts of Austria-Hungary. From what we have been able to see the only place where Wilhelm wasn’t more popular than Franz Joseph in the Duel Monarchy was Hungary. Then again it was Hungary were delusions of grandeur were common place.

I didn’t know what Wilhelm was planning to do long term with Vistula Land. I knew he was planning to build an empire, but he was always updating those plans to reflect changes in his thinking or events on the ground. However, those plans didn’t matter at the moment. Instead, I was focusing on the here and now. I was meeting with students of Warsaw University of Technology and Imperial University of Warsaw who had taken part in the student protest of the Russians moving those universities inland deep into the heart of Russia. The Warsaw University of Technology had moved to Ufa and the Imperial University of Warsaw was now at Saratov. Granted a lot of both universities were still in Warsaw as this had only happened in the past few months, but it was still a clear sign that the Russians were cracking down on the Poles.

Many of the Poles who were running from Russia were heading for the New World. However, Russia was handing out visas like they were candy to anyone who was Polish. Some of these people through were ending up in Posen instead of making the journey to the New World. These were the ones that hoped they could return at some point, possibly even build a Polish Kingdom that was free of Russia control.

At the moment I was speaking with these students about the currently building Imperial University of Posen. Many of these students had been of noble birth, and it was why I was meeting with them. The camps that were housing those that were passing through I had simply toured instead of speaking with them for the most part. Most weren’t thrilled about having to learn German as part of their education. They however were ecstatic about the fact the majority of their studies would be done in Polish through instead of Russian.

Colonial Build Up Pt II

London
Trafalgar Square
July 4 1896

As I departed from Whitehall, I had an extra pep in my step. We had just signed the Treaty of London that ended the crisis that had been caused by Leopold playing the fool within the past few hours. Granted there were a few parts of the treaty I hadn’t cared for, but overall, it was a win for Germany. As I looked at Nelson’s Column as I was being driven to Kensington Palace where I had been staying as I was here in London, I was wondering how history would remember this day.

I wasn’t leaving London for a few more days through. I was planning on visiting Queen Victoria again before I left for Germany. I had really formed a bond with her and honestly viewed her as a grandmother. Her age was starting to get to her, but she had already lived a long life. From what I can tell she had taken a shine to me as well. We were both pushing for closer relations between our nations, and the word alliance was starting to come up. However, I knew I would she her again at her Diamond Jubilee in a few months’ time.

Besides visiting with Queen Victoria again, I would be visiting with a number of key British court officials. These would be key to forging the alliance with the British that honestly, I hadn’t thought possible eight years ago after crashing landing into this body. So far through there was only one person who was dead set against such an alliance. That person was the Prince of Wales, the fat asshole. I honestly couldn’t stand the man at this point. I had made a number of efforts to get on friendly terms with the man, but he kept rebuffing me at every turn. He was outright rude at times, even more so after his mother scolded him on his rudeness. He had got on my last good nerve with his childish actions and rude behavior.

The fat asshole as I called him in my head and when I was speaking privately with Dona was in favor of an alliance with the French. How he came to favor the historical foe of Albion I honestly couldn’t figure out. The only thing that gave some insight into his anti-German beliefs was his wife, who was still sore about the 1864 War which had push him that way. This however put him at odds with almost the whole of the British court and government who wanted stronger ties with my nation instead of Paris. When he would become king in about five years it was going to be fun watching that cluster. Well would be if the fate of Germany didn’t hang in the balance.

As for the treaty the French had wormed their way into this. They wanted a part of the Congo which I really didn’t want to give up. However, we finally stuck a deal to allow this to go through. Playing off the fact they wanted Morocco, I was able to get the British on the same page. Both the British and French would have special rights in Morocco. Frankly I didn’t care one damn bit about Morocco. So, it cost me nothing, but it gave me another way to wedge the French further away from the British.

With their two pieces of gold the French shut up and allowed the deal to go through. As part of the deal with the British I was using British banks to take out the 10-million-pound sterling loan to pay Leopold for buying the Congo Free State from him. Even with that, I was able to get a good rate of interest from Bank of England. It would take some time for the needed paper work to be done, but the hand over was set to take place in 120 days from ratification. Something that was expected to happen within the next few weeks in all nations.

I also put some clauses in the treaty to make sure Leopold didn’t fuck me over. I was able to get German colonial officials in the Congo Free State now, even before the ratification of the treaty. This was going to allow me to make sure Force Publique didn’t do something stupid. Like revolt against my rule. However, the officers of the FP who were Belgian would after the handover be discharged from service and allowed to return to Belgium. The task for me was to weed out of the NCO and enlisted force that remained those who could be good soldiers and those who were simply psychopaths in uniform. The latter would be dealt with, while the others were turned into good soldiers.

With that I was also able to get Walvis Bay away from the British. This had been a side treaty but was also being called the Treaty of London. It cost me turning over a few of the Solomon Islands I didn’t want. Honestly, I was more than happy to make that trade. It also gave them rights to build a railway through German East Africa to build their Cape to Cairo railway. There were some other minor details but largely I got what I wanted as well.

Now I was looking at China for my next colonial adventure and attempt at building a truly world spanning empire that would stand the test of time. However, I was also keeping a weather eye on Cuba as well, as I was looking to pick over the bones of the dying Spanish Empire.

Its all About the Economy Pt I

Potsdam
Sanssouci
September 5 1896

The German economy was booming. Normally that would be a good thing, however it was starting to run a little too hot for my liking. The reason I was saying this unemployment was now running around somewhere south of 3% and was still dropping. With more jobs being created daily. Demand for German goods on the international market was increasing by the week as well as the quality of German goods became a known item. I needed to find a way to get more workers soon or the economy would tank, and that was the last thing I wanted.

So today I brought the leaders of the various political parties so I could touch that third rail I really didn’t touch. Granted there were a few minor leaders of the smaller political parties not here today. Some of those leaders I didn’t want to deal with directly. Others didn’t want to deal with me. They were however minor enough that this could work at the moment if I could get the major parties along with a few of the minor parties here to go along with my ideas.

With everyone here I spoke first after the greetings have been done. “Gentlemen, at the moment our economy is doing wonderfully. On the surface it looks like was are the land of Beer and Gold.” There were nods at this. Everyone knew how well the economy was humming along right now.

“However, we are staring at a crisis in the near future if we do nothing.” Now there were a few people looking at me wondering where I was taking this. “This crisis is lack of workers. I’m sure some of you have heard stories of people finding it increasingly challenging to find help. Then when they do find help, they must pay them more than in the past. If we keep on this track Germany will be out of workers within a year. Possibly sooner or maybe two years from now. It depends on a host of factors. I believe through we have less than a year to fix this problem before it becomes a major problem.”

Józef von Kościelski the leader of the Polish Party spoke first even through he was the leader of the smallest minority party here today. “Your majesty, are you staying we need to recruit workers from other nations?”

“Yes I am. If we don’t we run out of workers and our economy will fall apart which is the last thing we want.”

Then there was a large number of shouting voices. I let it go on for a second before I called out loudly and authority, “Enough!” That got everyone to be quiet. It was at this point that when into my teacher mode that I hadn’t used in about a decade and explained how having too few workers for the economy was a bad thing. It was also showing through I was a believer in Keynesian Economics in this. This notwithstanding the fact Keynesian Economics wasn’t even a thing yet. Unknowingly I was creating what in time would become known as Kaiser Economics.

I then outline how we could fix the problem. This would mean a massive immigration act that would get people to move to Germany instead of travelling to the New World. Then I laid it out what I wanted to see in such an act from the Reichstag to keep us from reaching this cliff of not having enough workers to meet demand. Once I finished with my positions, I opened the floor to the various party leaders to state their positions on the ideas I had put forward.

As lunch was being served, I was thinking this was going to be challenging. However it had to be done to keep the economy going.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
October 14 1896

I saw Wilhelm working at his desk this evening as I walked into our private offices. The offices where are last four children had likely been made. Indeed, there were a number of fond memories of our time in this office. This office was where we both liked to work on various papers we were working on at the time. It was also where our safes where we stored out papers that we written with freely using our information from the future.

Locking the door behind me. Wilhelm stopped his writing and looked up, “Hello beautiful.” He said as he started to get up from his desk.

“Hello yourself.” I replied. I still didn’t understand how I fell heads over heels in love with this man. However, I wasn’t questioning it that any more. Once we reached each other he pulled me in for a passion filled kissed.

Once that broke off, “Not right now. I still have to put the children to bed as do you in a little bit.” I said looking into his eyes.

“Ah, you’re no fun.” Wilhelm said to me.

With another quick kiss, he when back to his desk, “So why aren’t you pushing for women to enter the work force in larger numbers.”

He hadn’t sat down yet. So, he grabbed his chair and flipped it around so he could look at me, “Simple really. We need to win the battle of the bedroom.”

I bent over in laugher. “The battle of the bedroom?” I said once I caught my breath. “What are you on about here?” I was honestly wondering. I was an active force within domestic politics so I knew of the series of bills that were forming in the Reichstag at the moment. That were moving far faster than was the norm for sweeping changes.

One was an immigration reform bill. Another was an effort via tax rebates to get factories to upgrade their machines with more modern and thereby, well generally anyways, less manpower intensive equipment. The final bill was on farming which was the same an effort to reduce the manpower needed for farming. But I was surprise that he wasn’t pushing for getting women into the workforce which would help ease the growing labor shortage within Germany.

“Yes, the battle of the bedroom.” He replied. “Germany has a population of around 51 million people at the moment if I recall my figures correctly. France has a population of around 38 million. Russia has a population of around 68 million not counting their various European and Central Asian colonies. Add those in you talking around 100 million.”

Wilhelm in private with me alone had always called Ukraine, White Ruthenia, the Baltic, Poland, Finland, along with the mess of holdings in Central Asia and the Caucasus as Russian colonies. He viewed it through the same lens as he was trying to do in his own colonies. Only the Russians were trying to make Russians out of their colonies whereas Wilhelm was pushing for something slightly different. It was still Germanisation, just with a different flare.

He kept going through, “Plus Germany on the whole isn’t ready for it. Even with the far right basically being destroyed in the failed putsch against me, Germany is still far too conservative to get behind such an idea. Maybe two or three years into a world war, maybe. But at the moment, it’s a no-go.”

I thought about it for a moment. He was right on the part about Germany being too conservative in nature for it to work. But I decided to attack the battle of the bedroom part instead. “It’s not that bad, we have Austria-Hungary and Italy in our alliance and they have sizable populations. Plus there are those growing rumors of an alliance with the British. Shouldn’t that balance the table?”

“Of those three the only one I could count on to hold their own is the British and their army size is a bloody joke. The Austro-Hungarians at the moment along with the Italians are at best are cannon fodder. If we can get Cisleithania within our Empire, we not only get a nice population boost, but we free them from having to deal with the fucking Hungarians. Plus, we can weed out the worse parts of their officer corp. Finally, we can bring them up to modern standards instead having to go to Budapest every year to beg for money for the army.”

“You are always thinking out building an empire, aren’t you?” It something I have noticed with him. “You have nothing to overcompensate for.” I said with a grin.

Wilhelm started to laugh and hard. “Nope I’m not overcompensate.” He said once he got his breath back. “It’s more I want to get Germany into a position where she only has a chance to go 15 rounds with the US in an economic boxing match. Germany might not be able to win, but at least it would go to a judge’s decision instead of being a TKO as it was with the Soviet Union. To have a chance of that Germany needs an empire along with a strong network of trade partners here in Europe and Asia. Hopefully South America as well but that can’t be counted on.”

“So, you are playing 3D Chess?”

“Nope, 9D Chess while everyone else is playing checkers.” He said with a huge grin. “Come on let’s put the kids to bed and I will explain what I’m trying to create.”

Family Bio 1896

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 29 1896

I had my large family all here. I never expected to be a father to this many children. Heck, I could still remember a time where me having any children seemed like a pipe dream. The problem now was getting them all to stay still for the yearly family portrait. Granted the older ones were easier, but the Kaiser Quad as they had become known in the press were still a handful even through they were three and half at this point.

The oldest through I hadn’t been there for the fun parts, was turning into a good man. The only thing I was worried about with him was the way he acted with the ladies. He might be only 14 years of age, but he was already a shameless flirt. Both with girls his own age along with older women. Currently I was hoping this was a mix of a phase put together with raging hormones. There however was no talk of who his future wife would be at the moment. Both Dona and I didn’t want to start those talks anytime soon. However, we were both hoping whoever he married would have the skill to keep him from carrying on affairs like in the world we knew and hopefully were steering away from.

Even with this, he was a bright young man. I had also just starting teaching him once a week how to rule. Granted this wouldn’t last forever with the German Kaiser having real political power, but I knew it wouldn’t die with me. So that meant training him so he could take on the torch and help guide Germany when his time came. I most likely would be bringing him with me to the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria which had been delayed till 1897. That would be the first state event I bring him on.

Of the other children that neither me or Dona were there for the fun bits that was worth note was not technically our child to start with. Elisabeth or as she liked to be called Lizi when in the company of us, which she viewed as her family. At this point she had been all but abandoned by her blood kin. Her mother it seemed wanted nothing to do with Lizi as it was a reminder of her bastard of a husband in Rudolf. Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth made no secret they didn’t like Lizi.

All that said, me and Dona loved Lizi like she was one our own. She was intelligence and driven. I also believed she had something of a chip on her shoulder as she knew she had been all but disowned by her family. Like with Wilhelm, we didn’t talk about possible marriage matches of Lizi, however we really didn’t have that kind of say in her life. Even through she called me dad, and Dona, mom in private it was a geopolitical mind field to talk about it. So, we didn’t. That said she had a bright future ahead of her. Part of me wondered how good a ruler she would be on her own right if that ever came up.

For the ones we had been there for, Frederick and Victoria Louise were something else. At seven years of age the two of them were thick as thieves. They were both highly intelligence and were already a grade level more advance than where they should had been from what our governess told us. We were already talking about increasing the level of challenge in their education as they when not in school they were either reading books in my private library or getting into trouble. Or sometimes both.

Gabriele and Stefanie were our second set of twins. They were now six. Unlike Fred and Vicky, Gabby and Stef did well in their studies but it seemed they had unlimited energy. Further they seemed to have the making of gifted athletes. Gabby seemed to be moving to gymnastics whereas Stef was going to football. Or as I knew in a different life time soccer. I had honestly come to like the sport which was honestly a shock to me. But getting those two to sit still was a challenge.

Finally, there was the Kaiser Quad as they were known. They were about three and half now, and were a bloody handful. They were Katrina, Alexandrine, Margarete and Jürgen. Honestly, they seemed to be a cross of their older siblings that both Dona and I were there for the fun parts. They were all highly intelligence but seemed to have unlimited energy. Yet they were so young we weren’t sure how they would grow but we both had a lot of hope for all four of them.

As I sat here we my family, I couldn’t be happier.

1896 End of Year Review

Domestic

Child Labor Law Act of 1896

Children under the age of 12 were flat out banned from having a job unless it was on a family farm. Children from the ages of 12 to 16 were limited to working only 48 hours a week. Further they couldn’t work between 11pm and 6am outside of Sundays as that whole day they were barred from working. Children of this age couldn’t not enter mines of any type. Further still they could only work in light industries, again through farm work was being allowed on the family farms of Germany.

Companies found breaking these new laws about child labor would be subject to fines on a ranging scale.

Immigration Act of 1896

This law gives factories the ability to recruit foreign skill workers to come to Germany for work. However, they have to pay said worker the same amount as German labor. Failure to follow this law will cause them to be fined and banned from applying for immigration visas for skill workers for the next 99 years.

Farmers can apply for a limited number of visas to help with their farm work. The number of visas is depended on the size of your farmstead. Again, these farmers have to pay these workers the same wages as their German counter parts. For those farmers that abuse or underpay their foreign workers will be fined and possibly thrown in jail depending on what they did in terms of abuse.

Both skill labor and farm hands who come to Germany via this new immigration act will have to pay an 8% tax on all remittance’s payments.

Again, both skill labor and farm hands who come to Germany via this new immigration act may apply for German citizenship after ten years of living in Germany if they have no felonies and learned how to speak and read German classes are free to these immigrates to Germany. Polish is allowed, but only in Posen.

Farm hands may after five years of living in Germany apply for a colonial homestead in the Colonial Empire. They however must be able to speak and read German and/or Polish(If they worked in Posen).

Factory Tax Act of 1896

Under this act, company are given tax rebates to buy more modern equipment to use in their factories. They get a bigger rebate if they buy German.

If a company commits fraud under this tax rebate system, they must pay back all tax rebates earned under the last ten years along with a fine. They would further be banned from taking part in this or any other tax rebates for the next 99 years.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

German-Japanese Cooperation and Friendship Treaty

This treaty was signed between Japan and Germany in the summer. This treaty creates a student exchange program between the two nations, through more Japanese students are going to Germany than German students going to Japan. It also creates a system where Japanese Army officers can attend German Staff and War College. It also covers trade and other stuff.

Also, in a secret part of the treaty, Japan recognized that the Shandong Peninsula falls in the German SOI of China. In return Germany recognized Manchuria and Hokkien are in the Japanese SOI of China. It further states both nations will inform each other about actions they are about to take outside of their SOIs.

Treaty of London

Germany buys the Congo Free State from Leopold of Belgium for the price of 10 million Pounds Sterling.

Both France and the United Kingdom get special rights in Morocco. Spain later is also included in this via the Treaty of Madrid signed later in the year.

The British agree to hand over Walvis Bay to Germany.

Germany agrees to hand over to the British all of the Solomon Islands save for Bougainville and Shortland Islands.

Germany also grants the British the right to build a railway through Germany East Africa for their Cape to Cairo Project.

Foreign Regions

USA

Stable, Good

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

Stable, Between Neutral and Good

Russia

Poor

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Prinz Heinrich Class Armored Cruiser

11,000 tons Standard Load, 4 x 24 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 20 kts

1 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm and Dona are both in good health and sprits.

Sports Pt I

Rostock
Naval Officer’s Gym
January 7 1897

I was dribbling the basketball at the edge of the court looking to see who I would throw the ball into. Then I saw newly promoted Kapitänleutnant Franz Hipper get open. So, I threw the ball to him, then dashed into the half court. Hipper got the ball and started to move in to the basket. However, Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Souchon was quickly on Hipper. So Hipper got the ball back to me as the other member of our team was covered and I was opened.

Looking around knowing the game was coming to an end an seeing an open shot I did a quick dribble before putting the ball up into the air from just outside the paint. All other of the five officers I was playing watched as the ball sailed through the air. Then it hit the backboard and bounced and hit the rim of the basket. Then it finally fell through the basket. We weren’t keeping score; as this had been a pick-up game. “Good game gentlemen.” I said as I looked up at the clock.

“Good game your majesty.” Came from the five officers I had been playing with after they saw the walk clock after I spoke. They knew their time to report to their classes was about an hour away. They were all either going through advance engineering or gunnery training here. But with it still be on land they had time to come to perform psychical training in the gym. It was something I was pushing for all members of my armed forces to be in peak psychical shape.

I had become known as the Athletic Kaiser. I had taken part in two Summer Olympics medaling in both. In the Games of the Second Olympiad, I had medaled in the 5000 Meters again. However, the German 4 x 400 meter was DQ after the baton hand off was botched. I didn’t know what it was about the relay races, but we seemed to be cursed with baton hand offs. I also medaled in the first marathon that was ran for an Olympic Games. However, I only took home the Bronze medal instead of the Gold like I did for the 5000 meters. Germany, however swept the medal podium in the marathon.

Running across Germany was taking off. Its one of the reasons Germany did so well during the athletics part of the games. We had a lot of folks that ran now for fun and many had decided to take part in the summer games. It was to the point we had to hold a qualifier to see who would take part because we had so many people wanting to take part. It’s what led to the German Games of 1896 that happened a few months prior to the summer games themselves.

Another thing that was blooming, if not as well, was basketball. I had invited the game by mistake soon after landing in this body. It was an oops moment as I didn’t know it hadn’t been invited yet. However, basketball was starting to catch on in Germany. It wasn’t going to replace football, but it was growing. Like this morning I had come to the gym for my morning work out and saw a few officers of my navy shooting hoops. Then I asked if they wanted to play a little 3 on 3 half court as I was their sixth. They said yes. It had honestly been a fun game.

Yet as those officers took off for the showers, I started my cool down routine. I didn’t have the school courses like the officers I had been playing with just now. However, I still did have a full day ahead of me. I was performing an inspection tour of naval and army bases. The reforms for the military were still working there way through the system and I wanted to see how they were doing. Then readjust as needed.

Then I heard a loud pop come from my right knee as I was part way through my first lap of jogging. That was followed by acute pain from that knee. But I knew I was in deep ship when I when to put weight on my right leg as I was slowing down. It when nope and I collapsed to the ground as it was unable to support my 83 kilos. “Scheiße!” I said loudly. The officers who had been walking to the showers saw me all came rushing over to me.

This was not what I had planned for today I thought as they helped me up.

Fixing Problems Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 10 1897

“Tearing your ACL sucks.” I said for the thousand time as I sat down in the wheelchair after performing another round of physical therapy. I was basically having to teach my knee to handle my weight again so I could walk on it with having to walk around with a pair of crutches. I used the wheelchair when I was in private like I was now, but in public I would use the crutches.

“You are doing well your majesty.” Dr. Heinrich Hoeftman said. He was one of a team of doctors that were helping me recover from my injury. He was regarded as one of the best orthopedics doctors within Germany. Granted an orthopedic doctor wasn’t the best to help out, but Kinesiology wasn’t really a thing yet. So, I had to work with what I had. I had doctors from across Germany, Austria-Hungary, the British Empire, and some other minor nations coming to work with me as I rehab. Granted I knew I was never returning to what I had been doing prior to this injury. My goal was to be able to walk without the need of crutches.

“Thank you, Doctor.” I replied.

“You’re welcomed sir.” Dr. Hoeftman replied. “If I may.” He said as he was looking for permission to speak.

“Go ahead Herr Doctor.”

“I wished all my patients could have the insights you do. You would had made a wonderful doctor if I do say so myself.”

“You are too kind Herr Doctor.” Through there was some truth to what he was saying. I had designed the crutches I was using. Even crutches had been used since ancient times, what I had designed was what I had designed was what I was use to in the early 21st century if made out of wood instead of aluminum. Unlike some other things I wasn’t patent on these. I had also worked with Dr. Hoeftman and a few others on my physical therapy routine. Hell, I even had a hand in designing the wheelchairs I was using for when I was in private.

“It’s the truth through sir.”

“I have another job through Herr Doctor. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Till tomorrow Your Majesty.”

There was a reason I was still using the wheelchair for private use instead of using crutches all the time. The pain was still a mother fucker when I put weight on that knee. But as the doctor left, I started to make my way to my official office to start my working day. With my injury, I had to limit my royal duties and travels as I recovered. From what the doctors were telling me it would be possibly a year or more before I got anywhere near to being recovered. They however made no bones about it; I was never going to run like I had been prior to my injury. Most honestly doubted I would ever be able to walk without crutches.

However, my mind was turned to the business of the empire. I would be hosting the British Ambassador to my nation along British Secretary for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain. There had been some talk about sending the fat ass to meet with me, but everyone knew said fat ass was refusing to do anything with me. So, the Prince of Wales stayed home, and I assume was getting crewed out again by Queen Victoria and the Marquess of Salisbury, again. He was pissing off a lot of people within the British court with his playing the ass with me.

The however was for later I thought as entered my office. My mind when back to my indirect play for the Philippines. The Spanish through had shit on that. I had asked the Spanish to allow José Rizal to be exiled to Germany on learning of his arrest late last year. Even through with good investments the Philippines would become profitable, I really didn’t want to hold them directly as part of my empire. Not directly anyways because I didn’t want to garrison them with a fucking army for 20 or so years.

So, on learning of his arrest I made it known to the Spanish that I would accept Rizal to be exiled here in Germany. The Spanish however didn’t reply to that diplomatic communication. Instead, they executed him a few weeks ago via a firing squad. I hadn’t said anything on this, instead I was looking at how I would twist my knife into the back of the Spanish Empire now. Cuba and Puerto Rico were out of the question as that would bring me into direct conflict with the US which I didn’t want. Granted I could defeat them right now in a straight up slugging match, this wasn’t the time or place for that.

The Philippines, just wasn’t worth the headache. But I was looking at the Caroline and Mariana Islands. I know I was hoping against hope, but I wanted Guam as well. But if the Americans took the Philippines then they were taking Guam. Still taking Chuuk would give me a good forward base in the Pacific. Plus, it would allow me to get some economic benefit via fishing rights. The other colonial holding of Spain I was looking at was Spanish Guinea. Simply put I wanted the oil I knew was there. It further would allow me to better control the Gulf of Guinea once I came to blows with the British.

My mind however when back to more pressing matters. I was getting a fair bit of push back on my attempt to mechanize German agriculture. The other bills I had pushed to help reduce the over employment issues of Germany were looking like they would work and when through fairly quickly. The farmers of Germany didn’t want to mechanize and they were giving me hell trying to figure out how to get this done.

The other was the Boers. They were pissed at me right now. Then again, they gave me the legal right to seize their rifles and ammo they had ordered. One of their diplomats had played the fool on a stop Lomé as they were returning to their home nation. With that thin pre-text I pulled diplomatic recognition for them which allowed me to seize their rifles and ammo. Given they had paid in gold and gems I had their rifles and ammo along with their money. They wanted one or other but I was telling them to pound sand just in a diplomatic way. From what I seen they were running to buy Winchester Model 1895s now. But I don’t know if Winchester could get them enough rifles to help them now.

Fixing Problems Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
March 27 1897

Generalleutnant Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz was standing at attention as I looked at the man. I was standing as straight as I could. I still couldn’t put that much weight on my knee without the pain becoming bad. It however was to the point I could stand far straighter and not be hunched over like I had been right after I tore my ACL. “Well, do you have anything to say for yourself Herr General?”

“Sir?”

At that point I picked up a manuscript I had on my desk. At that point I threw it to him. He caught it and looked at it. “This is my latest book your majesty. It only when to the publishers a week ago. How did you get ahold of it, sir?”

“How I got it is not important.” Given he was using the company that the Great General Staff used, I had set it up so I could get an advance copy prior to said manuscript being published. Some times I got the manuscript itself. “I read the whole of your manuscript. I want to know what in god’s green earth possessed you to write that book.”

I read it in a single night and by the end of reading I was pissed. Steam coming out of my ears pissed. Dona even told me she had never seen me that mad before. In Goltz’s book he calls for a German-Ottoman alliance against the British! With the Ottomans being used to invade the Sinai to take Suez then Persia as a prelude to an invasion of India! This was not the time to piss off the British.

“The world is not big enough for the German and British Empires to live together.” Goltz replied.

“Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes, sir I do.”

“Then, I will take that as your resignation of your commission, Herr General. Before you leave this building, I want your resignation in my hands. Do I make myself clear!” Goltz had few friends. The General Staff had never liked his ideas so this wouldn’t blow up in my face. But I needed to make it clear this not an army with a nation but a nation with a well-trained and well-discipline army. Plus this would reinforce my efforts to make it clear the army needs to think of more than simply from a military point of view.

“Yes sir.” He was clearly pissed.

“Dismissed and get out of my sight!”

He snapped a salute before leaving. I didn’t return it. I could feel myself shaking from adrenaline. This fucker was trying to fuck up my plans. I had to focus on my breathing to get myself to calm down. To do this I sat down and focused. It took a few minutes for me to calm myself.

Once I was calm, I made a note to make sure every book publishing house in Germany would black list Goltz. I couldn’t have this fool fucking up years of hard work. This summer I would be travelling to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. During this visit the first steps to an official alliance would be taken. It would still take a few years before a treaty was inked, but during that visit we would take the first steps to an alliance.

However, I knew any such alliance with the British wouldn’t hold up forever. Well unless I was the Portuguese. The British liked them for some reason. Yet once their fear of the Russians when away, and given the French would had been defeated for a second time in 40 years or so, their fear of one power that could control the European mainland would shift to me.

This was truly a game of 3D chess and I had to set the board to even to have a chance.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 5 1897

“So, have you any bright ideas how to deal with the mess the Greeks have created this time Wilhelm?” Dona asked her husband. The Greeks just had their teeth kicked in by the Ottomans after picking a war with the Ottomans.

“Besides saying fuck the Greeks and Russians?” I said with a crooked smile on my face as I was sitting at my desk working on such an idea putting down notes as I was trying to figure out how to end this mess for the best possible outcome for Germany.

“Yes, through good for stress relief, you need a plan to keep this from blowing up into a general war.”

“I know.” I said as the smile disappeared from my face. There was still that possibly of a general war over this, but I kind doubt it would happen through at this point.

The Ottomans had been performing well against the Greeks. Their soldiers were performing up to snuff. Their logistics needed some work, but that could be fixed with time. The only thing saving Athens from being raided or out right taken right now was the poor state of their navy. If they had a better one, they could had swept aside the three somewhat old Hydra Class Ironclads and taken Athens and force the Greeks to sign whatever treaty they wanted at gun point. That could also be fixed but would take a lot more work, and more importantly money. That was starting to come in through as oil from the oil fields I had “found” was starting to come to market.

For the Greeks themselves this war had been on disaster after another. The only thing saving their asses was one of the Great Powers were willing to stand up for them, otherwise they would be screwed nine ways from Sunday. That great power was Russia. They had sent a note to the Ottomans that more or less forced the Ottomans to accept a cease fire between themselves and the Greeks. It was either that for the Ottomans or a war with the Russians. Even with the efforts I had been taking with the Ottomans they weren’t ready for a war with the Russians. The question was how to keep the people of Crete from revolting again against Ottoman rule, even if it was just Ottoman suzerainty instead of outright rule.

“So, what’s your master plan?” Dona asked. She had learned I like to plan, and revise as more information was fed into my OODA loop.

“It’s more a question of what I can get everyone else to accept. Personally, I would like to have a mix force of my own troops and British troops, possibly even bring the French and Italians into the mix to garrison Crete till a later date. In turn set up the Cretan State where it can’t join Greece, and if all possible keeping Venizelos from rising to power here.”

At that moment I took a sip of the water that was on my desk before I kept going. “Then I would have the Ottomans evac Thessaly save for what they are gaining there. In return the Greeks pay for a large indemnity. With that indemnity coming from an occupation of Greek custom houses by my own forces and British. Again, maybe throw in the French and Italians if that’s what is needed to get their support. And hope to god that indemnity is large enough to keep the Greeks from trying to rearm themselves and trying this foolish action again in about 15 to 20 years.”

“You don’t like the Greeks, do you?”

“Not really. They go bankrupt every 20 or so years. They don’t have much in resources, and if I recall it correctly their only industry worth a damn is tourism in the 21st century. Their strategic position is rendered mute by having the Ottomans on my side. Throw in their current delusions of grandeurs by those in power and how the common man is dirt poor and can’t read, why would I like them?”

“You could change that.”

“I could in theory. How the price I would pay to fix the problems there, is not one I’m willing to pay. To much investment and not enough return on said investment. If any return at all.” If I was honest with myself, I would be perfectly fine with Greece being a tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. Another long term out come I was fine with for the Greeks was if they became a state like Panama or Costa Rica. No standing military but some kind of Gendarmerie force for domestic law enforcement needs. And I really didn’t care which happened.

The Ottoman Problem Pt I

Constantinople
Aynalıkavak Kasrı
June 14 1897

Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz was now an adviser to the Ottoman Army. He officially held no rank, but had been honored by being named a Pasha by the current Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for services to the Empire. Yet it still sung Goltz that the Kaiser would force him to resign for simply speaking the truth. Yet, it seemed the rumors were true that the Kaiser wanted to change Germany from being an army with a nation to a nation with an army.

He had seen the new regulation that had come out saying that officers could not publicly take positions that when against the official government positions. He however like many officers thought that was a toothless regulation. As for as Goltz knew he had been the first officer within the whole of the German army who had been forced to resigned over it through. He knew there were other officers who had felt the same as he did, but his forced registration was a shot across the bow to other officers about keeping quiet about there believes if they when against the wishes of the Kaiser and his government.

Soon after he had resigned his commissioned, he had received a request for a meeting with Generaloberst Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff. The reason for this meeting wasn’t clear, but Goltz when to it in the hope he would receive the support of von Schellendorff. That however didn’t happen. Instead, the meeting took a strange turn early when he found out that Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen was going to be joining the meeting in a few moments.

It was that meeting was how he found himself in the Ottoman Empire now. During that meeting with von Schellendorff and von Schoen they offer Goltz an out. If he would agree not to publish his latest book for at least a decade, and travel to the Ottoman Empire and work as an adviser to the Ottoman Army he would find himself granted a pension of that generaloberst, two pay grades higher than the rank of generalleutnant he had retired as. Yet he had to help ready the Ottoman Empire for a war in the Caucasus and the Balkans. If they found out that he was prepping the Ottomans for an invasion of Persia that higher pension would be taken away. He further would be sending quarterly reports back to the German Foreign Ministry about the pulse of the politics of the Ottoman Empire from his point of view. With little in the way of choices left for him, Goltz had agreed.

For the Ottomans themselves they were giving him everything he needed. He was currently reviewing reports that had come out of latest war with the Greeks. They had done well given how he found the state of the Ottoman Army when he had started his tour in the German military mission over a decade ago. Yet, he could see in the reports there were still room for a lot of improvements. They would also need to equipment from what he was seeing. He also was under orders to help funnel Ottoman military contacts to German industry as part of the deal, so he would start reviewing what German industry had to better help the Ottomans in his task.

The main area needed for improvement through was training. Had this been a major foe like Russia they would had been hurt badly. The problem was the state of politics within the Ottoman Empire itself. Abdul Hamid II was fearful of a coup against his rule and only allowed for so many hours and rounds for training. It was nowhere enough. Maybe, he would have to help fix that…

Last Grasp Pt I

SMS Wörth
Thames Estuary
July 23 1897

The SMS Wörth was currently serving as a private yacht for me and some of my family as we were travelling to the United Kingdom for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Once we were ashore through, she would take part of a fleet review that was happening as part of the jubilee. Even through the Wörth displaced several thousand tons more than SMY Hohenzollern I still didn’t like travelling by sea. I wanted airplanes to travel by instead of being on a ship.

My oldest, Wilhelm or Willy as we called him when it was just as a family was on his first state visit. He seemed to be enjoying the trip through. I just hope he didn’t do anything stupid through, as his hormones were still raging and he was thinking too much with the little head instead of the big head. When we could get him to think with his big head, he was a highly intelligence boy turning into a man. That said me and Dona had started to talk about setting up a marriage for him so he wouldn’t go sow his wild oats with some random girl. Even with those problems he was shaping up to be a good ruler.

Also here was Lizi who was making her first state visit. Franz Joseph hadn’t wanted her to visit travel here. Lizi however was a strong-willed woman and when those two met a few months ago over this it was a sight to behold. It had been the first time the two had met in almost a decade, and it wasn’t a good meeting at that. It was best put as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. It was all I could do keep from laughing as I watched this meeting take place. It however ended with Franz Joseph allowing her to travel here, but not making any public remarks. I was fine with that and Lizi accepted it. Honestly the more I saw her grow the more I through what a Kaiserin she would be.

The only thing about Lizi I was worried about was the budding relationship herself and Eitel. It was why I hadn’t brought him along for this trip. Even through neither had come out and said it even a blind man could see the spark between those two. So far as I knew neither Lizi or Eitel had acted on those feelings but it was clear they were there. I was honestly hoping this was only a phase for both of them as that would be something neither of them could live down if they got married. It was one of the reasons I want Lizi here so she could meet other royals and possibly have her heart stolen by one of them. It might be hard on Eitel if that did happen through.

Dona was currently by my side as were standing in front of the Anton turret. We both were looking out at London city skyline such as it was at the moment. It was at that point my younger brother Prince Henry came up to myside, “Sir we will be docking in 20 minutes.”

“Thank you, Captain.” I said. I was still in my suit instead of a naval uniform. It was why he didn’t salute me. Unlike me through Henry loved the sea and it showed.

“You sail a good boat Henry.” Dona said.

“It’s a ship ma’am.” He replied with a grin on his face. However, he knew this would be his last voyage in command of the Wörth. When we returned to Germany he would be relieved of command and promoted to konteradmiral. He would move on to Berlin where he would take the job of oversight of the design teams for the various ships of the navy. I trusted him to feed some of the ideas I had on the navy and he could make it happen.

“I stand corrected.” Dona replied. With a smile also on her face.

“Would you send Willy and Lizi to us Henry.”

“Yes sir I will.” Henry replied. He then left me and Dona to ourselves.

Once Henry was out of ear shot I spoke again, “Once I’m off this ship I’m going to be happy. As walking around with a cane on his thing is a pain in the butt.” My recovery from my torn ACL was going as well could be hoped for. My doctors didn’t know if I would ever be able to walk without a cane again, but it was still better than being on crutches for the rest of my life.

“Why I thought watching you walk around on this boat was fun.” Dona said with a crooked grin on her face.

“Wait till tonight love.” Even through Dona couldn’t have children anymore we still were very much in love. I was just about to pull her in for a kiss when I saw Willy and Lizi walking up and decided against it.

It was at this point I talked to the two of them again about what was expected of them. I just wanted to make sure this state visit when off well and with it being their first state visit each of them were going be doing things for the first time. Then our photographer we had brought with us for this trip took a picture of the four of us standing in front of Anton turret.

Just after that photo was taken we felt the tug boats come up to help us dock at the birth we were docking in. At that the four of use when to where we needed to be disembark from the ship. It took some time for this to happen. Once that happened over the intercom system that was being tested on this ship, “Kaiser Wilhelm departing.” When the gang plank was lowered.

At that I led my family down the gangplank with the crowd waiting to see me and my family. Through I was moving slowly as walking down angle was still tricky for me at the moment. Once down I started the normal bit that would happen. However, a sound of a gun hammer being pulled back caught my attention. I turned and saw a man raising a pistol up and aiming for me.

Going on pure instinct, I brought my cane up and connected with the assassin pistol firing arm. The impact of the cane was enough to send his arm flying up. His trigger pull was late and the bullet when flying over my head by centimeters. Then moving as fast I could I brought my cane back down and when for one of his knees with enough force to break something.

I heard Dona scream as she told the kids to get back to the ship right as my cane came into contact with his right knee. I heard something pop, but I didn’t know what happened on him. So, I lunged forward and grappled for the revolver he had. This was as bystanders started to move to help me stop the assassin.

Aftermath Pt I

London
Buckingham Palace
July 23 1897

As I was looking at myself in the mirror, I was thinking about how lucky I was. I then dipped my wash cloth into the wash basin to keep cleaning up after what happened earlier today. My mind was however working full tilt at the moment as I kept cleaning myself up before I visited Queen Victoria. It was going over what I have done differently, and there wasn’t much I could have done. The only thing I really could have done differently was had a body guard with me. That was something I hadn’t done yet, but after this I would have to hire a few.

Still, I was lucky. It was also making rethink how good an everyday carry pistol was. I had a Mauser-Browning 1895 Pistol in a belt holster that was position on the small of my back. I hadn’t cared for the more standard shoulder holsters of this day in age, so I had designed this holster myself. Yet I hadn’t the time to clear leather. I had to grabble with this failed assassin to stop him and get help from bystanders to keep him from getting a second shot off. I had made a note to personally meet with those who had helped me.

Currently said failed assassin was being held by Scotland Yard who had shown up with in about a minute or two of the assassin getting his shot off. I would also have to meet with that constable. However, after making sure I was clean I wiped my face dry. With that done, I when ahead and finished getting dressed. I needed a new suit after wrestling with that fucker.

Once that was done, I exited the bathroom and saw Dona sitting on a coach. She was still shaking out of fear. Unlike me, she never had a near death experience before. Walking over to the coach I sat down next to her then put my cane out of the way. Then I pulled her in close and she started to cry even before her hit my shoulder. “Everything is going to be ok baby.”

“I could have lost you.” She said through her sobs.

“You didn’t through.” I said as I stroked her hair trying to calm her down. “I will take steps to make sure this will not happen again baby.”

She kept crying through as this had been the first time, we had to be alone since this happened this morning. I didn’t say anything else as I knew enough that she needed this cry. So, I just sat there as my beautiful wife cried on my shoulder.

Aftermath Pt II

London
Buckingham Palace
July 24 1897

It took most of yesterday to calm Dona down. She hadn’t even been that sick with worry during the failed coup attempt against me. Even then it still had not been a good night sleep for her. I however understood well enough. She had never been through anything like that before and it shook her to the core. For me I been in life and death situations before, and had pulled the trigger along with being on the other end of the barrel prior to this.

That said we still had things to do, but Queen Victoria told us to take the day for ourselves yesterday on learning of the failed attempt. She sent a messenger as well apologizing for the attempt that happened on her soil. I knew I would be seeing her later today and was already working on how to reply to that. It wasn’t her fault that someone had decided to make an attempt on my life. I however had many questions I wanted answered before I returned to Germany. I had also passed on a note to her saying I would like to meet with the people who helped along with that constable.

As an early riser I had gotten up early and did a number of laps through the palace. Granted I wasn’t running anymore but walking did my body good. Plus, it would help strength my knee again. It was still being debated if I would need the use of the cane for the rest of my life or not, but after yesterday I might just walk with one from all the time. Once I did about two kilometers worth of walking the halls, I returned to my room I was staying at. I came in and found Dona doing her yoga. I had given some thought about taking it up with her, but had decided against it. Instead, I when into the rest of my morning work out routine.

Once we were both done with our morning work out routine, I kissed her. Once we got that out our systems, I spoke, “I’m going to meet with the assassin today.”

“Why?” You could hear the fear in her voice.

“I want to know why he did it.” From what I had been told he was an Italian who was living in London. He had no known political connections prior to this. Further he had made his living working making plaster figures of one kind or another. He had various run ins with the police prior to this but nothing on this scale. Based on that alone made me think someone had contact the Italian mafia for a hit on me. The question was who as I knew full well, I had stepped on a lot of toes since landing here.

“Please don’t Wilhelm.” She said with a slight tremor in her bottom lip.

I when over to her suit case which was a de facto closet given its size. “Baby, nothing will happen to me. Promise.” Then I kissed her forehead.

“Promise?” She asked me almost not believing me as she looked up into my eyes as I had a good head of height on her.

“Promise.” I said. Even through only two works were spoken, a full conversation had just been spoken between us with our eyes. Then she pulled me in close for a deep soulful hug.

Once we broke things up we got dressed and freshen up for breakfast. Given this was London I knew that we would be getting a Full Breakfast. That said I didn’t get it. I never cared for black pudding. And for the love of god who ate baked beans with breakfast? Then again when in Rome do as the Romans do. So, we both made our way to the dinning area to eat breakfast, through wishing we were getting a German breakfast. That said over the decade or so I been in this body I had learned to enjoy many German foods that I had never heard of before. Some things through like good Kansas City BBQ was something I really wanted but haven’t been able to find out a way to get it.

Once we got there, I noticed that the fat ass wasn’t here. Then again, he was a night owl and I was an early riser. There were a few others here through. All high royals within the British court. Willy and Lizi were already here as well. I had just taken my seat with Queen Victoria came in. So I stood up again out of respect for the woman. All of us did.

She walked over to where I was standing. Given her age she wasn’t moving all that fast. Once she got next to me, the difference in height became clear. She was very short with me standing almost a half a meter taller than her. She however pulled me into a hug, “I’m sorry William. You will not be able to see justice.”

Aftermath Pt III

London
Palace of Westminster
July 26 1897

The procession part of this was over as I demounted my horse. It wasn’t the easiest thing for me do to as my knee wasn’t still up to snuff. Once on the ground through I pulled out my solid oak cane and started walking to where the first big event was going to happen. This procession was in my honor as the one for Queen Victoria wouldn’t take place for a few more days. As such it was far smaller than the one planned for the Queen. Many in the British government were beyond pissed that there had been a failed attempt on my life and were trying to make amens for this. Well, that and the assassin had died in prison. So, this had come together at the last moment, but so far it had gone off without a hitch.

I knew the assassin was dead because I had seen the body. Somehow someone gotten a shank into that man’s neck. You stick something that something that sizable and sharp that deep into a man’s neck and they will die every time. It was honestly a horrible thing to look at, but the face on that corpse was one that had been burned into my memory. However, I was still pissed that I wouldn’t be able to see that son of a bitch hung. Even worse I wouldn’t know if this had been part of something more or not now. My mind was leaning to something more as this has the hallmarks of an Italian Mafia hit job and removing the hitman when it was a high value target and they failed to kill the target.

At the moment it was clear the British weren’t taking anymore chances through. There was a large police presence as I made my way to the award ceremony. Then I would move on to making an address to Parliament. The latter had honestly surprised me as I knew how rare an honor that was for a foreign head of state to be allowed to directly address parliament.

Once I was there, I was warmly greeted by Queen Victoria once I made it to the place the award ceremony was taking place. I saw the constable who had come to my aid. Further the three men who had help me were here as well. Two of them I had paid for the suits they were wearing when they explained yesterday that they had no finer clothes than what they had wore to meet me. It had cost me a few extra pounds to get a tailor who would have the work finished by now but it was worth it.

Queen Victoria spoke first. She then presented me with the Order of St. Michael and St. George in the highest level. I had to hold back the laugh as I thought of what the post-nominal letters stood for. It was God calls me God. I had always enjoyed British humor. With that out of the way Queen Victoria presented the constable and the three men the Albert Medal for Lifesaving. I spoke next. The speech itself was practiced with me working with the German Ambassador to make sure I hit all the right notes with this. I then presented these men with medals as well. I presented them with the medal award for the Order of the German Empire. Then there were pictures for newspapers and other print media to be had.

Once that was done, I moved on to addressing parliament. Like my earlier speech this had been worked on before hand and done with the advice of my ambassador here in London. Again, I was making sure I was hitting the right notes to make sure an alliance would form between my nation and the British.

Tech Growth Part IX

Potsdam
Sanssouci
October 3 1897

I honestly wished I could had been travelling with Wilhelm for speaking with farmers as he was trying to get a farm bill through the Reichstag. They were kicking and screaming trying to stop any such reform act from happening. I however, had several commitments for things that were near and dear to my heart. These being the right for women to vote within Germany. Even through full franchise didn’t take place till 1918 in the world I came from I wanted to move that date up if at all possible. This was challenging because Germany was still a fairly conservative nation over all even with the push that Wilhelm and I had made to the left. Still the fact I was being allowed to speak for this cause with Wilhelm being silence on the matter was creating waves within Germany.

Currently through I was working on figuring out what catalysis was needed to make the Haber Process work. With the rising demand for nitrates and ammonia increasing year by year for ever bigger crop yields, natural nitrates weren’t going to be able to keep up. With the work Wilhelm was doing in the colonies was helping with this matter as Nauru’s phosphate’s reserves had been found. It would still be another two years through before those reserves of phosphates would start coming to market. I was hoping my work through would reduce the damage done caused to Nauru by the mining.

The problem was finding the right catalysis. Even through I was working on trying to recreate the Haber Process, my background in the petrochemical field was slowing things up. This had led to me taking six months this year working on how to make hydrofluoric acid after having a light bulb moment. HF was nasty shit but it all just came to the forefront of my mind and I followed it and when with it. Once I got to where I could in my small lab, I filed out the paperwork for three different patents that I could with the research I had done. Those patents were currently pending but where already being shopped around. At the current moment it was looking like BASF would buy them up along with the notes I had.

With that behind me now, I was back working on getting the Haber Process working. I was currently using finely ground iron as the catalysis. Now I was currently waiting as I had just started the process. As I waited my mind jumped to the Fischer-Tropsch Process. So, I made a mental note to start working on that when I return to my study to write up the report I would do this evening. My gut feeling was saying I would be taking a detour down that path as a lot of that was coming up in my head at the moment.

Then I noticed something was coming out of the vessel I had set up. It was honestly looking like I might had hit on the right catalysis. After letting it run for an hour, I shut it down and took what my pressure vessel had created and put it to the side. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to see if I hit on the right catalysis or not. At the moment through I had to put up my gear and get ready for the event I was going to tonight. With that done I left my lab and when back to my room to get ready.

As I got ready, I thought about the changes that happened in the aftermath of that failed attempt on my husband’s life. Anytime we were in public we now travelled with one bodyguard. Even with a few months of this I was still finding it an odd thing to get use to. Wilhelm didn’t overdo it like I had been expected. I knew he took security seriously. The last fight we had gotten into was when he found out I had written the combo to my safe on the back of it. He had made me bring in a locksmith to change the combo then put the new combo somewhere else in the event I forget it.

For who was behind the plot, we still didn’t know. The nation had rallied behind him through. He had said he had people looking into it. But he wouldn’t tell me who or what they had found.

Reforms Pt VI

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 15 1897

The sound of Dona coughing was the only sound I could hear at the moment. I just had to laugh through as for some reason I found it funny even through normally I wouldn’t. “I told you that was strong.” I said as I was laughing.

Currently there was some smoke in the room we were sitting in. We were both some dressed down as we had attended a formal dinner earlier this evening. I had removed my tie, vest, and jacket and replaced it with a smoking jacket. Dona for her part had also lost a lot of the extra pieces she had been wearing and had taken to wearing one of the smoking jackets that I kept for company when they wished to smoke. That said given her large bust it was impossible to close said jacket. As she handed the smoke back to me, “I haven’t done this in ages.”

Before I put the smoke back to my lips, “This is only the second time I have smoked it up since being back here.” Then I took a hit of the blunt I had rolled up about ten minutes ago. I started to cough as the effects hit me.

This had all started when I saw a campaign against cannabis starting to form. I was a firm believable that prohibition of anything was doomed to failure. I saw that with the war on drugs and had lived through that. In history I saw it during the prohibition era in the US. Banning something would only drive it under ground and create a black market. So, in effort to get ahead of this, I had commissioned a royal study on cannabis and its effects. I was hoping to have the report coming out akin to the La Guardia Commission that unclutter Harry Anslinger claims against cannabis. Still Anslinger won that fight. I was hoping with royal backing at least in Germany would keep it from outlawing it.

Even with that I decided to try it out a few times for part of the study as the early reports were far more akin to the La Guardia Commission than Anslinger’s position. This time I got Dona to take a hit with me. “So what are you planning on doing with this?” Dona asked me as she started to feel the effects of the cannabis hitting her systems.

“At the moment, just wait for this study to be done. Along with enjoying being able to take part of it every so often.” I said as I placed the blunt in the ash tray. I had smoked enough in college to know that two hits were enough for me, and with Dona being the first time she has done this god knows when one hit was enough for her.

“Ah where is that long term planner and schemer I know and love.” Dona as she was laughing.

“I’m right here, just taking a break from it.” I said laughing as well. Long term through my plan was to put a sin tax on it and some controls to make sure people don’t start selling bad cannabis.

The Viennese Waltz Pt I

Potsdam
Sanssouci
December 19 1897

Dona was standing next to me in a fancy evening dress. I was wearing a formal dinner suit. Besides that, we were alone at the moment. In a room next to us through was a small group that were waiting for the outcome of this coming meeting. Eitel was the first to enter this room. He was following our orders and was also wearing a formal dinner suit that we had tailored for him for the upcoming Christmas Ball that Dona and I would be hosting in two days’ time.

He was honestly turning into a fine young man. Since he was my second son and not in line to rule Germany, he had asked for something last month. That was a topic now I was on the other side, understood how it made my own real parents felt when I asked for the same thing. Only I was three years older when I had that talk with my parents. The evening talk with Dona that night was heated. In the end through we had given him our blessing for what he had asked for. Starting in three weeks’ time he would travel to Plöner Schloss. Once there he would join the cadet corp there. It would be the start of his training to become a career army officer.

Once he was close enough to us he spoke, “Papa, Mama.” He said. When we were alone, he didn’t address us formally as the court would have him do.

“My son.” Dona said as I gripped her hand a little tighter to keep her from going to hug Eitel. This night was going to be important no matter the outcome and I knew she was having a hard time of keeping it together.

“Eitel, just a moment and I will explain.” As I could see in his eyes the wonder of why he was here.

Then Lizi entered the room and she shut the doors behind her. Like Dona she was wearing an evening grown. Her red hair was flowing. She was also turning into a wonderful young lady. We were already talking about what university she would attend jump the fall of next year as she was that smart. The governess we had teaching the older children had made it clear that she was ready for such a step. She wasn’t sure what she would study through. She was divided between learning the law or becoming a doctor. Both Dona and I had made it clear to Lizi we would support her either way.

“Papa, Mama.” She said as she stood next to Eitel. Lizi’s eyes also held the wonder why we had asked them here. But now there was also the effort to look at Eitel as well. Eitel’s eyes were trying to look at Lizi.

“So beautiful.” Dona said as her voice cracked a bit.

I would admit I was getting emotional with this as well in a bit. Well when I had a chance to whisper in Dona’s ear. At the moment through I was keeping a straight face. “Eitel, Lizi there is a reason we had asked you here tonight.”

I let there be a pause before I spoke again. “It has come to my and your mother’s attention that,” I was looking at Eitel, “plan to ask Lizi to dance with you at this year’s Christmas ball. Is this correct Eitel?”

Just by the look in his eyes now I could see I had put the fear of god into him just by knowing that. “How papa did you know that?”

“The how is not important. What is important is this, is it the truth Eitel?”

At that Eitel looked at Lizi, “Yes papa, it’s the truth. I was planning on asking Lizi to dance with me at the ball.”

Now I was looking at Lizi. But I gave Dona quick hand squeeze to let her know it was her turn to speak. She took over for me, “Lizi this is important, would you accept such an offer for Eitel?”

Lizi was also looking at Eitel. They were looking each other in the eye, it was clear they both had puppy love bad. If it would grow into true love was yet to be determined. “Yes.” She simply answered.

Dona then squeezed my hand back to let me take back over. “Face me Eitel, Lizi.” I said softly. It took a moment but they both turned their heads back to looking at me and Dona. “Such an action by both of you would have consequences that I can not stop.” I said with a hint of steel in my voice.

“Consequences?” They both said in unison.

“Yes consequences. Nothing would happen to you Eitel. But Lizi, even through I love you like my own flesh and blood, I’m only your legal guardian. You are here only because of an agreement I have with Kaiser Franz Joseph.” I let the words set in for a moment. “He is already looking for a way to whisk you back to Vienna. This would give him a reason to do it.”

It was at that point Lizi broke and started to speak which cause me to shut up, “Why? He hates me.” Was what I heard. Eitel honestly looked ready to kill.

“Lizi some men are cold hearted and mean spirited. Franz Joseph is such a man.” I wanted to say more but I wasn’t as this wasn’t the time or place. “Knowing him, Franz Joseph would use this simple dance as a pretext to remove my rights as legal guardian for you Lizi. I would be powerless to stop him.”

Again, I let that sink in. You could see Lizi shaking in fear. Eital was matter than a hatter at this point. But I did notice their hands hat reached out and were holding on to each other. “However, we our here to offer a way for you two to dance without Franz Joseph learning of it. If you accept, Eitel you will not ask Lizi to dance at the Christmas Ball nor stop any man who askes her for a dance. Lizi you will accept offers to dance at the ball. Further neither of you will speak during this as those who are waiting in the room behind us are blindfolded so they can not see either of you. Do you understand this agreement?”

I had brought in a number of musicians who were skilled enough to play blindfolded in the event they both said yes. I was that sure they would accept such an offer. Eital and Lizi both looked at each other. “Yes.” They spoke in unison again.

At that I squeezed Dona’s hand again. “Very well this way. Just remember no talking you to.”

Then the four of us started to walk into the room where this mini-ball was going to be held. I then opened the door and allowed Eital and Lizi to go first. Then Dona when into the room. I then shut the door and gave both Eital and Lizi a moment to get out into the dance floor. Once they were there, I picked up a crystal glass and tapped it twice with a spoon lightly. With that ringing sound the six musicians started to play the music I had picked out. With the music starting they, both started to waltz.

1897 End of Year Update

Domestic

The Farm Reform Act of 1897

This honestly a water down version of what the Kaiser was trying to achieve. Most of it were minor patches. These will slightly improve the agriculture out put of Germany. There was only a single big-ticket item on this. This was the equipment cooperative program. Under this program, a total of 13 regional exchanges are to set up where farmers for a low monthly fee can use mechanized farming equipment for a set amount of time per year along with being trained in how to use such equipment. This program is being heavily funded by the Imperial Government. Talks to expand this to the colonies are still on going.

Legal Currency Act of 1897

This has been a low-key project of Wilhelm has been working on and pushing over the years. The use of company scrip within Germany and its colonies shall become illegal within five years in peace time. In event of a war companies may apply to the Imperial Government to issue company scrip and issue a license to do such. However, all scrip will equip the amount given value of the scrip used. Further still scrip may only be issued in paper notes. The final note on this section is that all companies who apply for a license to issue scrip will be held legally liable if they fail to have enough money to cover all scrip they printed.

Further it sets up sets up a mint system to make coins for the empire. Building off what was already there the cities that will have mints are Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Stuttgart, and Hamburg. These mints if already in operation will be modernized under this act. The mint at Karlsruhe will stay operational but scaled back in operations to making only commemorative coins and proof sets. Through scaled back the mint at Karlsruhe will also be modernized, as well as first.

Equipment that is surplus but still useable from this modernization of mints shall be moved to colonies to set up mints at Kamerunstadt, Dar es Salaam, and Herbertshöhe. At these locations these mints shall mint colonial coinage for use in these areas which they operate for.

Reorganization Act of 1897

Publicly not much is thought about this act. It simply on the face of it looks like another effort to streamline things within the German Military System as they are still working out the kinks from totally uniting the German armed forces into a single force.

The secret part of this through is why this is being covered. Under this it reorganized the foreign intelligence service into a single branch instead of the smaller different branches it was prior to this. The chief of intelligence is hand picked by the Kaiser, with heads of intelligence being army, naval, foreign service, treasury, and counter-intelligence. Those positions will be filled by professionals who come up through the ranks.

Further it created Q Branch. Q Branch is a small wet work operation for various task across the globe and reports only to the Kaiser.

Changes Within Government Personal

Intelligence Chief was named Konteradmiral August von Heeringen.

Gustav Steinhauer is put in charge of Q Branch with a commission of Korvettenkapitän.

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Constantinople

This is the treaty that ended the war between the Greeks and Ottoman Empire. Its also set up the frame work for how to handle Crete. The major points of this treaty are as follows. There are others but these are the major points of the treaty.

- The Ottoman Empire returns control of Thessaly save for the small areas they are taking to Greek control within one month of signing this treaty. (Those areas are mostly for better defensive positions.)

- The Kingdom of Greece shall pay to the Ottoman Empire an indemnity of 900,000 Pounds Stirling. (Greece is bankrupt and the Drachma is all but worthless at this point in time.)

- Greek custom houses shall be occupied by a force of British, German, Austro-Hungarian, French, Italian and Russian custom officers to collect dues on imports. This occupation shall be in place till the indemnity to the Ottoman Empire along with 50% of outstanding debts to foreign creditors are paid off.

- The Cretan State shall form under Ottoman suzerainty. The High Commissioner of the Cretan State shall be Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale.

- The Cretan State shall have a defense force made up of British, German, and French troops under the overall command General Sir Redvers Henry Buller.

- The Cretan State is banned from forming a union with the Kingdom of Greece. Further it shall be illegal within the Cretan State to promote such a union.

Treaty of London

This treaty is sitting up high level chief of staff talks between the British and German military forces. Further it starts an exchange program for students to attend staff schools in both nations in limited numbers. The British recognizes in a secret part of the treaty that Germany has an SOI in the Shandong Peninsula. Finally, the British agree to a medium size naval build up by Germany. More on the latter later through.

Foreign Regions

United States

Stable, Good

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

Slightly Decreasing

Russia

Poor

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Wettin Class Battleships

14,500 tons Standard Load, 4 x 30.5 L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 18 kts, well armored/KCA

Wettin
Mecklenburg

Gazelle Class Light Cruisers

2,700 tons Standard Load, 10 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, Ram Bow, Light Cruiser Armor/KCA, 21 knots

6 Ordered

U-1 Class Submarine

65 tons surfaced, 75 tons submerged, 1 bow tube, 6 kts surfaced, 5.5 kts submerged

1 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm is still recovering from a torn ACL at the moment. It’s no where as notable as it was right after it happened, but he still needs a cane for walking.

Dona is still in good health and spirts. Wilhelm’s spirts are good as well.

The Boxer Rebellion Pt I

Peking
In Route
February 3 1898

Ambassador Bernhard von Bülow was still wondering what he had done to be assigned to this station. Even some within the Foreign Office had wondered what von Bülow had done. Many believed wrongfully that he had been linked to The 19 Days but not to the point he could had been forced into retirement like others had been in the aftermath of that. Many saw him as having everything needed to take Germany to new higher levels than it was already reaching. Yet in the aftermath of The 19th Days his career just collapsed.

In 1893 he had been primed to be the new ambassador to Rome, and many thought he would be assigned to that duty. Even Italian King Umberto had sent a letter to Berlin all but asking for von Bülow appointment to the position. Then to the surprise and horror of von Bülow and the surprise of many he had been assigned to be the ambassador to Lima. He had protested the assignment as he believed it was not fitting for a man of his standing. He had taken those protest all the way to the Kaiser himself. The Kaiser had given him a choice either accept the posting or resign in a very short meeting. With the DkP being gutted at the time and the FKP not wanting him he saw a career in the Reichstag was not in the cards. So, he had accepted the posting which was a huge blow to von Bülow. Even more so since his wife refused to travel to Lima.

After three years in Lima he had been sent to Peking to serve as German Ambassador to Chinese Court. Unknown to von Bülow, the Kaiser had basically cut his legs out from under him. He had studied the man and even read his memoirs when he had been at university. It was possibly the only time someone had died then committed suicide[1]. He simply wanted to keep von Bülow as far away from the levers of power as much as possible. If it was the hard truth the Kaiser didn’t even want von Bülow in China as he wanted him to rot away in South America or Central America. He really didn’t care which. But trying to over turn the foreign minister over where an already sideline ambassador was station wasn’t worth the headache.

For von Bülow through he was trying his best to return to being in the good graces of the Foreign Office. While at the same time he was attacking those, who were his foes as he saw them from getting power. The problem was as the people in the Foreign Office changed in the aftermath of The 19 Days, only Friedrich von Holstein stayed at his senior position who had personal links to Bismarck. Given that von Bülow had attacked him as well, this was all but why he had been not back into the fold as some wanted him back in the fold.

At the moment through von Bülow was travelling to the meet with the Chinese court about the possibly of Germany gaining a trade port on the Shandong Peninsula, akin to what the British had at Hong Kong. He was hoping this would be the coup he needed to get back into the fold. Maybe he would finally get to see his wife again, instead of taking up various mistresses like he had been since 1893.

Then he heard gunshots and his horse whinnying as it fell from its wounds. His coachman fell from his position, clearly having him shot. Someone had forced the door open. Then someone thrust a spear into him, impaling him with it as it connected with his rib case. It tore through his ribs and into his lungs. Then it who ever was using the spear withdrew it and thrust it again, this time into von Bülow’s neck killing him.

Unknown to von Bülow through this was just the start of something much larger in China.

[1] Side Note, I can’t remember for sure, but I’m fairly sure Massey said something very close to this in his book Dreadnought if not this. So, shout out to Massey.

The Boxer Rebellion Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 14 1898

This was not what I was expecting for this year. I had been expecting a war between the United States and Spain this year, not myself and China. But this was snowballing to that and faster than I had been expecting. Even with me being secretly pleased that von Bülow was dead he didn’t deserve that. That guy who had taken that photo was lucky to get out of Peking alive, but it showed von Bülow already dead having his head cut off. My ambassador to Tokyo had seen the photo and wired me the details. It was brutal.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to my nation. To say that meeting did not go well would be an understatement. He had lecture or yelled depending how you looked at things about the ways of Europeans were corrupting China and how the Japanese were our lap dogs. Personally, I was leaning to being yelled at. I had just sat there with Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen in shock as this meeting when on before I had finally cut off the Chinese Ambassador and simply said he was now a persona non grata and had 96 hours to get out of my nation. I had been hoping we work something out short of war, but that failed.

China itself was a mess. I had been expecting the Boxer Rebellion to start next year, late next year at that, but it seemed it was starting now. Why I wasn’t sure. On the other hand, I had always been weak on my Chinese history, but Chinese history was such a bloody mess that it was borderline impossible to figure it out. Then throw in the fact everything I had seen back when I had been in university had political slant one way or another along with everything having disagreements, I had generally decided to skip it. Now I was privately wondering if that had been a mistake.

I didn’t have time to second guess that through. The International Legions in Peking was under siege from what had gotten out so far. I had moved some gear and equipment into the German part of the legion. This included a Krupp C/64 field gun with about hundred rounds of ammo and a pair of Maxim Machine Guns with a few hundred of rounds of ammo. Plus, enough Gewehr 89s to issue one to every member within the German grounds there with enough ammo that each rifle had the same amount of ammo as a German squad of infantry would have. That was well short of the weaponry I was planning to get into the International Legions. I had more medical gear and food as that was some easier to explain why I was bringing that into the International Legions. I also had two doctors on the staff there, so hopefully the people defending the International Legions would hold up better this time around, as I doubted, we would get them out after only two months.

Elsewhere in China Christians were being hunted down and murder brutally by Boxers. The same was true of Westerns and Japanese outside of the International Legions. It was as if someone had lit a match and all of China was going up in flames. Given how the meeting with the Chinese Ambassador had gone, and what was getting out the odds of this ending peacefully was growing slimer by the day. Further it seemed like they were being supported by some within the Chinese government, possibly the emperor or empress. That really wasn’t clear at the moment. Then again China was becoming akin to a black hole with information at the moment.

Currently I was prepping to send VI. Armee-Korps, 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division, and 2. Garde Kavallerie Brigade with supporting logistical elements from the Army to end this. That would only be the first wave for the army. I most likely send another Corp to support those forces in a follow-on wave, maybe even more given how things shape up. From the Kaiserliche Marine I was sending the Kreuzergeschwader which was made up of six protected cruisers. I was also sending the Irene Class of protected cruisers which had already been degraded to colonial cruisers and were currently in Africa. They would meet up with my small Pazifisches Geschwader which was at the moment basically gunboats that were a decade old or older and based out of Simpsonhafen. There would be other units, but those were the major units. Still, it would take time to get everything ready to move. Orders however were going out, but officially we weren’t at war. Yet. There could be something to allow this to end peacefully, but I doubt such events would happen.

I was now waiting for the number of ambassadors to all get together for my next step as I was planning on going to WAR over this. Not just the Eight Nation Alliance that formed in the history I knew do deal with the Boxers. This was going to be a fully declared war. Unless the Chinese really did something out of left field, I doubt the German public would accept anything less at this point. Anti-Chinese Protest were breaking out across Germany as news of von Bülow murder and what happened to his body was being on by the press. The way the Chinese Ambassador had acted was only adding fuel on to the fire. I had posted extra police around the Chinese Embassy just to be safe through. The German public wanted war and they were making that clear.

The ambassadors were being shown in. Sir Frank Lascelles was the first to come in. The British were having their own problems elsewhere, notably with the Boers in Southern Africa. That wasn’t a hot war at the moment, but I was expecting it to become hot this year at some point given from what I was seeing. Then came in the ambassadors from Austria-Hungary and Italy. They were both my officials allies at the moment. I was moving that way with the British but we still hadn’t reached that point yet. Then came Uchida Kosai for Japan. Like with the British they weren’t officially allies yet, but it was moving that way.

Elsewhere in Berlin, von Schoen would be meeting with the French and Russian Ambassadors at once. Then the American Ambassador at a different time. The French and Russians weren’t allies but they had to be talk to given what happened with the International Legions. I was hoping to keep them out to keep them having a seat at the peace table. As for the Americans given John Hay was Secretary of State, I was trying to get out in front of their Open Note Policy. I understood it and part of me even like it. But given how everything was shaping up and how toothless I knew that policy was, I was working to get my two bits of silver right everyone else.

This meeting I was having through was to inform them of my plans to go to war with the Chinese and to enlist their support. Under the current treaty system no body in this room was treaty bound to go to war with me. I however would-be needing naval bases to resupply my ships as they made the journey to fight this war and to get this done I would need British help as my naval logistical chain wasn’t ready to handle this. I would also see if they would send troops for spoils of war.

Personally, I was going to take Tsingtao at a minimum for territory I would be taking. It was going to be larger than the historical Kiautschou Bay concession was. I was also hoping to be able to take the Changshan Islands and Hainan in this. The former for strategic position within Bohai Straights. The latter because for economic and the fact I could Germanize it along with strategic positioning in the South China Sea. Then that would be on part of the indemnity they would pay, plus whatever loot my army brought home.

For the British I was more than happy to give them the New Territories for Hong Kong, and possibly even larger than what happened in the history I knew. Hell, if it would get them to shut up about Hainan, I would throw in Chusan to sweeten the pot along with their own cut of the indemnity if they took part in the active fighting. The New Territories through I would give them just for logistical support alone. I didn’t know what Austria-Hungary or Italy would want or if they would even take part in the fighting.

The Japanese were the tricky ones. I knew they wanted Port Arthur and part of the Liaodong Peninsula. However, the Russians would object to that and possibly bring them into a war against us. So, after thinking about, I decided I would see if they would join in for Kinmen Island, Amoy Island, and some other minor islands off Fujian. That was if they could actively take part in the fighting which I didn’t know if they could. Like the British I would offer some of the indemnity to them as well.

For the wild cards there were the French, Russians, and Americans. I know damn well the Americans didn’t want any land in China. But they most likely would-be hell bent to keep us from dividing up China for ourselves. France could most likely be easy to handle. Russia through was the headache. I didn’t want them to get Manchuria. I was ok with them getting Tuva, hell I was ok with them taking Mongolia. Manchuria was a hell no through. That land was too rich to allow them to have it.

This meeting was to see how they would react to my plans along with what it would take for them to be ok with them. So, this was going to be fun. Schoen through was going to have even more fun for trying to keep the French and Russians out of this or at the very least from actively fuck up what I was trying to achieve.

To War Act I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 27 1898

I was sitting on my throne as I waited for Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher to enter. What was about to happen was a formality as it had been decided on earlier after we had reached a deal with a number of other nations. I knew von Boeitticher had been looking to retire and indeed we had been planning to hand over the reigns of power in the near future once I had settled on his replacement. This had come about after a mild heart attack late last year. I was leaning to picking Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner after Johannes von Miquel had turned down the request. However, with everything that was happening right now, I had asked Boeitticher to stay on for the course of the war.

Currently it was a rare day, well would be rare if this was a normal time. I was in my army uniform, the full-dress variant. Not the normal variant I opted for most times. It was fucking heavy as shit and uncomfortable as all hell. Even with that notwithstanding I would make a speech to the crowd outside of this palace after I spoken the important words that I would need to speak. But once that was done, I would change out to the normal uniform and I would be wearing that till this was over.

I knew I would be the first nation to declare war, but I knew Austria-Hungary, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom would follow by lead. The only reason I thought Austria-Hungary was going to war was simply because Italy was in on another land grab. We were on the verge of a deal with the French and Russia to form a seven power alliance to defeat the Chinese. The sticking point was Manchuria, the Russians wanted it so badly they could taste it. Neither the British, the Japanese, or myself wanted to see them take it. I think the French wanted them to end their shit so they could get in on the coming land grab everyone knew was coming. The Americans really didn’t want to fight this so they were staying quiet and focusing on annexing Hawaii at the moment. They however had signal they supported us.

A knock at the front door told me it was time. “Enter!” I called out.

Chancellor Karl Heinrich von Boeitticher entered the room I was in. He was in full court dress. I still hate those things, but given everything I could at least get out of wearing that thing. He bowed before me and spoke. “Your Majesty, it is my advice that the only course left for our empire is that of war against the Great Qing.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Then we shall go to war against the Great Qing.”

With those words Germany was now officially at war with China. Then von Boeitticher rose from his bow. “It shall be done your majesty. We shall be victorious.”

“So, say we all!” I said quoting how many Battlestar Galactica characters I didn’t know. I then stood and started to walk to the window to where I would speak to the people of the nation.

The British Go To War Act I

Melbourne
Recruiting Station
March 9 1898

Matt Jones was standing in line as he waited his turn. He knew he would be lying about his age as he was only 17 years of age at the moment. Only just 17 at that. That wasn’t legal age to enlist in the Victoria Militia, but he didn’t care. He wanted to fight, and maybe earn a chance at a commission. It sure would beat sweeping floors at the general store, which had been the way he had been earning money for the past year. Plus, he wanted a since of an adventure plus service to the Empire. He was going to sign up for the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles and go fight the China Man and teach them a lesson they never would forget.

Yesterday, the British Empire became the fourth nation to formally declare war against the Chinese Empire. Austria-Hungary and Italy both declared war within a week of Germany doing it. The British Empire had taken this step after The Marquess of Salisbury had informed the House of Commons and House of Lords in London of the events of his meeting with Queen Victoria. That declaration of war brought in the Victoria Colony into the war as well.

The British weren’t sending a large army to fight in China. Not like the Germans who were sending a heavily reinforced corp in their first wave. They were sending a cavalry and infantry brigade from the British Army itself. Further they were sending a number of units of the British Indian Army. The main part of the British effort would be naval. Germany knew they didn’t have enough warships so the British were more than happy to send over a number of cruisers and even some older battleships to help out in operations. Then there would be the colonial forces from the self-governing colonies. Still it would be a larger force than either the Italians or Austro-Hungarians were sending to China.

“Next!” Came the call from the stand.

It was Matt’s turn so he took his step forward. The man clearly an officer spoke, “Name.” As he was writing something down. “Matt Jones Sir.”

The officer looked up, “How old are you Mister Jones?”

“21 sir.”

The officer was giving him the once over and his face show he really didn’t believe him.

“Sign here Jones.”

At that Matt picked up his pen and signed his name in the book. “Move along Private Jones.” The officer said. Then the call came out “Next” once Jones stepped into the building to start his journey with the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles.

Author’s Notes: If anyone wants cameos let me know. I’m looking at picking up POVs from both German and non-German POVs.

Relief of the Legations Pt I

SS Pazifik
Bohai Bay
March 21 1898

Hauptmann Martin Friedrich Langholz was thinking he was a long way from Kiel. Then again that was true with Seebattaillon III was at Herbertshöhe as well. For the past year, Langholz and his company had been working in training up colonial troops that are defending German New Guinea. They were also practicing and training their own craft in their time in Herbertshöhe. During his time in Herbertshöhe he had come to respect the colonial troops as they were good soldiers. Maybe not up to Seebattaillon standards but still good soldiers.

Following the assassination of Ambassador von Bülow, his unit had all leave passes revoked and recalled. Then a day later when the SS Pazifik docked, the German Navy used the law to place her into Kaiserliche Marine service. Norddeutscher Lloyd like all other German liner companies were receiving subsidies from the Imperial Government, so when called on those ships could be taken over for military use. So, the whole of the Seebattaillon III were loaded on to the ship for a move north.

The ship then took them to Fukuoka. During the trip it had become a challenge to maintain the psychical standards that was expected of the Marines of the Seebattaillons. The men of the unit were all volunteers given they were expected to perform at higher standards and be posted anywhere in the empire. They were used for testing new weapons. It was why instead of a M1879 Reichsrevovler he was carrying a Browning-Mauser 1896 pistol[1]. It was a far better weapon than the Reichsrevovler, but still had its flaws. Then again it was better than the Mauser C96s[2] that were being tested by others in his unit. Further still his company had two Madsen Light Machines guns they had been testing on Neupommern. For both his pistols and those Madsen light machine guns this was going to be their first taste in combat.

Behind him was the bulk of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Japan had joined the growing group of nations that had declared war on China a week ago. Now Seebattaillon III along with troops of the Imperial Japanese Army and a number of British Royal Marines were being landed at Tientsin. Their goal was to relieve the Siege of the International Legations in Peking. Then get those people back to Tientsin, and save them from the horror fate that the Chinese getting their hands on them. The Chinese was brutally killing any western and Chinese Christians.

Hauptmann Langholz push his thoughts out of his head as he started to climb down into a row boat that would take him to the shore. He was going to be part of the first wave into combat. One thing that was still in his mind through, respect your foe. His time with the colonial troops taught him that. Once in the row boat, he loaded a magazine into his pistol then pulled the slide back putting a round in the pistol. Other German marines were loading their rifles or other weapons. It was time to go into the breech.

[1] Colt M1900 in 9 Para

[2] Basically Red 9 Mauser C96s

Relief of the Legations Pt II

Tientsin
Near the Taku Forts
March 21 1898

The roar of large naval artillery could he heard as the marines under the personal command of Hauptmann Langholz rowed their boat to shore. They were part of the effort to relieve the International Legations in Peking. First through they had to clear the Taku Forts and set up a base of operations at Tientsin. The ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Royal Navy were sending high explosive shells at the forts with the forts sending their own rounds back at those ships. Even through it was dark the light coming from a burning ship gave Hauptmann Langholz better sight than he would had otherwise.

Hauptmann Langholz and his marines were still working their way to the beach. Langholz was thinking they should had used steam launches instead of the row boats they were using to get to the shore. There hadn’t been the time or steam launches to do that through. Then without warring one of Langholz’s Marine’s heads disappear into a cloud of red mist. Langholz face was covered in the blood of the Marinesoldat who had just died.

Without thinking about it Langholz pushed the Marine’s body over the side of the boat and took his place up on the oar. “Come on lets get this boat to the beach Marines!” As the body of the fallen Marine floated off in the Bohai Sea.

“Oorah!” Came the answer from his marines. Oorah was becoming a common saying within the four Seebattaillons[1]. It was a battle cry along with being an acceptable an answer to a challenge in the right places. The sounds of oorah could be heard from all sides as the German Marines rowed to get on to the beach.

Then the front of the boat they were on rose slightly as they hit the beach. “Move marines, we need to get to that brim!” At that his marines drop their oars and started to jump over the side of the boat and started to run up the beach. Rifle shots from the Chinese greeted them as they started to run up the beaches. The Chinese were finding it hard to hit the Germans through as they were practicing the five up than down tactics they were being trained into the new recruits of the German Army and Marines since 1895. Once the marine had hit a count of five they dropped and looked around. Then got up and sprint again. Then they repeated as needed to get where they needed to be.

It took Langholz a few minutes to rally his marines to the brim that had been their pre-set rally point. Seeing his men in position along with the two other companies assigned to take one of the outer forts, Langholz pulled out his flare gun. It was preloaded with a green flare to signal the attack against his assigned fort would be taking place in two minutes. He then pointed it forward and fired. It took a moment for the flare to get into the air and light but a green flare was soon seen. He then turned the action and dropped the empty cartridge out of the gun. He loaded a red flare this time.

Then he watched his wrist watch. Once the two minutes were up, “OORAH!” He called out. That call was returned by just under 300 German Marines. The British Royal Marines that were nearby didn’t know what was happening as the Germans were calling out oorah. They however started the assault on the fort as well.

Chinese rifle fire was deadly but the marines the walls of the fort. Then the sappers of the unit lit the fuse on a 10 pound demo charge to breech the gates of the fort. With that the marines took cover as they waited. Then following a deafening boom, they saw the gate was done.

Langholz was one of the first to enter the fort itself. He had his pistol in his hand and put a 9 mm Parabellum round into the chest of the first Chinese soldier he saw. Looking around he saw that his marines were pouring in as the Chinese were firing on them. He saw his machine gun team. “Unteroffizier, get your machine gun on that rampart!” He told them. Within seconds the 7 mm Mauser rounds of one of the light machine guns of his company was eating into the Chinese who were firing into the Marines as they breached the fort.

Then seeing movement above, Lahgholz raised his pistoled and fired twice putting a round into the Chinese soldier who was trying to charged the marines from the overlook position guarding the entrance to the fort.

Fighting was becoming hand to hand. The Chinese however had more numbers the Marines had better firepower. Where the marines could bring that firepower to bare it was telling. Lahgholz after fighting for ten minutes was already wounded had taken a grazing wound to one arm and a flesh wound his leg. He however like the rest of his marines were still fighting.

Then he saw a Chinese soldier trying to bayonet him. He tried to shoot him only to hear the hammer click and nothing happen. Dropping the pistol Lahgholz dodge the lunge of the Chinese soldier. Acting quickly he grabbed at the rifle and pulled it out the Chinese soldier’s hand. He then brought the butt of the rifle up to the chin of Chinese soldier who had just tried to stab him. Then pulling the rifle away from the stunned soldier he flipped it around and stuck the Chinese soldier with his own bayonet. He then brought the rifle up to his own shoulder and took aim.

<*>

Three hours later as the dawn lights were cracking over the horizon Lahgholz was sitting down as the company corpsman was treating his wounds. He was a little light headed at the moment from the blood loss. However the Imperial Flag was flying from the flag pole where the dragon flag of the Chinese was now being held by a small group of marines for a photo. The losses in taking this fort were heavy. 21 of Lahgholz’s marines were now dead. 58 more including himself were wounded, a number of them seriously. Other marines were guarding the prisoners they had taken. Others still were stacking up the Chinese dead like firewood just so they could move around easier.

It was heavy losses, but for the first time in this war the Imperial Flag of Germany was flying on a hostile shore.

[1]A training battalion at Königsberg. Then the Kongo, German East Africa, and German New Guinea host a battalion each.

Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt I

Hamburg
Docks
March 25 1898

Even through Germany had been at war with China for almost a month and had been planning for this longer than that, it had taken time to round up the shipping needed for sending the Deutsche Expeditionstruppe to China. It had also taken time to get the VI. Armee Korp and the Guard elements ready for this. VI. Armee Corp had been selected for a reason. Yes, it had been based in Breslau. However, it allowed a division from XX. Armee Corp in Bavaria to be brought up and train with them without too much of a headache.

VI. Armee Corp had left its heavy equipment at Breslau. X. Armee Corp was being moved to Breslau for the duration with VI. Armee Corp taking X. Armee Corp’s equipment. While shipping was brought together for the German Expeditionary Force to be shipped to China, the new formation that made up VI. Armee Corp trained before being transported to Hamburg.

Ever since 1895 the army reorganized and put a lot more on psychical training than many other armies around the world did. Every soldier by the end of their training cycle before being put with their units were expected to reach a number of marks in the psychical ability areas. These included being able to run 3.5 kilometers in under 18 minutes, being able to perform 35 pushups, 47 sit ups, and 3 pull ups. Once in their units they would have to maintain this ability. Failure to achieve these standards meant a new recruit would be recycle through the training program again. A second failure would be meant assigning to your unit, but not in an operational role. Instead of being with the soldiers you would become an ordonnanz for officers. Officers who in turn would run you hard till your time in service was over. Basically, you would be the lowest of the low. With that motivation not to fail was high.

Another change to the army was how the divisions were set up. The older brigade structure was still in limited use, but a new regiment system was in place. The plan was currently to totally phase out the older brigade system by 1900. Each infantry division had three slightly larger infantry regiments with an artillery regiment, and an Uhlans regiment, plus supporting units instead of four infantry regiments with two artillery regiments, plus two cavalry regiments. This had slim down the German divisions, but this decision to slim down had been bore out in field maneuvers that shown the smaller divisions were better able to respond to both offensive and defensive missions at a moment notice.

The size of the supporting units of the division through had increased. Along with the Jäger, pioneer, train, and telegraph battalions that were there prior to this where a number of new units. There were now a battalion of dragoons, a machine gun battalion, and logistical battalion within the division TO&E plus some smaller company size units. The corp level had also seen its support units restructured along with the number of divisions increased from two to three. Many of their old battalions had increase to regimental size units. Further they were now had attached heavy artillery units to them along with a further regiment of dragoons.

For Feldwebelleutnant Hans Dallmann none of that really matter at the moment. He was nearing the end of his cadet training and would receive his officer’s commission in a few more months. Dallmann was an artillery officer, but he had trained in the new role for the artillery. That of the forward artillery observer. He was attached to XI Korps’ artillery but he was to call in the fall of shot to the artillery batteries to adjust fire.

Like others they were waiting to board the ships that would be taking them to China. He hadn’t been cleared to know where they would be landing, but rumors were running wild where they would be taken. As an officer he had to knock some of the crazier rumors down, but for the most part he allowed the men to talk. Then everything got quiet. Dallmann saw why when he saw the shoulder boards.

Kaiser Wilhelm was in the same uniform he was. The only difference was the shoulder boards and lack of a sleeve patch that was there for unit id. The shoulder boards themselves were that of a Generalfeldmarschall, but above the batons was a crown. He was being flanked by a pair of guards but for the most part the Kaiser was speaking briefly with each soldier he could as he moved. Then the Kaiser came to stop in front of Dallmann and spoke briefly with him.

Dallmann was deeply moved by the few words the Kaiser did say. They were motivating and yet touching. Yet it was brief as the Kaiser was trying to see as many soldiers as he could before they were boarded on to their ships. Dallmann like all others who had a chance to meet or hear the words of the Kaiser were moved by them. It all took their motivation levels to the next level.

Now through they had to board their ships. They would be sailing with ships of the Kaiserliche Marine as an escort. They would receive a further escort as they pass through the English Channel when the Royal Navy attached a cruiser squadron to the formation. They would then sail through the Mediterranean and refuel at various Royal Navy bases along the way. They would then travel on to the British Raj where they would refuel again. From there it would be on to Singapore. Once there they would travel on to Japanese Formosa. Their end goal was Tientsin at the moment. Through things could change depending on how the Japanese did.

Second Chance Pt I

Bielefeld
Prison
March 28 1898

Wilhelm Hundertmark was one of a number prisoners being brought together within the prison here in Westphalia. He been in prison for just over a year at this point for what was a ten-year sentence. The sentence for been poaching and theft. He had come from a poor farming family and he had turned to that kind of life to make ends meet and had been caught by the police. Yet he was with the younger prisoners that was being brought together by the warden. None of the other prisoners seem knew what this was about.

Once the warden spoke with the guards the warden left the area where the prisoners had been brought together. The prisoners however didn’t make small talk as they waited. They didn’t know what this was about, but with the fact there were this many guards here kept them keep quiet. Then the warden returned with an officer they had never seen before. It wasn’t a new guard, no it was an officer of the Deutsches Heer.

“My name is Major Klink. I am here to give you people a second chance along with a chance to serve the Fatherland.”

This got everyone’s attention in the group. “The Kaiser is willing to offer all of you clemency for all crimes you have committed against the Second Reich if you agree to serve within the Strafbataillons that are being created to help keep our fighting soldiers against the evil Chinese.”

At this point Major Klink outline what the Strafbataillon was. It would be a psychical labor unit to improve the logistical abilities of the Deutsche Expeditionstruppe. They would hold the rank of Arbeiter and be paid the same amount as a newly conscripted private within the Army. That newly conscripted private however would out rank them. They would also be subject to the Standardisiertes Militärrecht as well. For their chance at clemency, they would serve three years or the length of the war which ever was greater. There was also the possibly in future wars they could be recalled.

It was by this point everyone who had been brought together understood why they were here. They were all young; with the oldest of them being under 35 years of age. There were a few crimes that they knew they hadn’t committed as everyone knew what everyone had done to ended up in prison. This was because the Kaiser would refuse to grant clemency for some crimes. Such as murder, attempted murder, rape, or anyone who had been caught up in the 19 Days were never going to be granted clemency. Otherwise, he was willing to grant clemency to those who would serve and build up the logistical net needed to support the efforts in China.

Once their time was done, they would be given a choice at a small homestead within one of the colonies or a ticket home with discharge papers either way. That was if service was honorable or at least neutral. If dishonorable, it would go to the board to see if they would be granted clemency. After the ten minutes of talking Major Klink said, “For those willing to enlist into the Strafbataillon stand so we can start the process of getting you ready for transport to the training camp.”

Wilhelm Hundertmark looked around for a moment before he stood. This was too good of a chance to pass up and he knew it. Many others were also standing wanting to leave prison as well and knowing a chance like this wasn’t likely to come up soon again.

Allies? Pt I

Vienna
K.K. Landwehr HQ
March 30 1898

Lieutenant Martinus Padovaner was wondering why he had been summed here today. He knew his unit was not going be one single battalion from the Landwehr travelling to China. Even through it had been weeks since Austria-Hungary had formally declared war on China it had taken till the past few days of talks with the Hungarians on the force the Austro-Hungarian Empire would send to China. A single infantry battalion from the Landwehr and the Honvéd would be sent. Nothing from the Common Army was to take part in China. The two cruisers of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I Class would be sent as well. Beyond that travelling to fight in China. Even then the only reason they were going was to not have the Italians out stage them. This not withstanding the fact the Italians were sending an Infantry Division and a Cavalry Brigade to fight in China.

Then again, the Austro-Hungarian Empire wasn’t going to China to carve out a British Hong Kong in Chekiang as the Italians were either. Their German brothers were going on a war of conquest, as were the British, French, Russians, and Japanese. There had been too many disagreements between Vienna and Budapest to make a British type Hong Kong buyable in China for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Instead, they were fighting for honor and an indemnity, like the Spanish and Netherlands were.

Padovaner didn’t know this. The junior artillery officer from Bukovina was wondering if his half Jewish background was being called into question again. His father had been a Jewish banker and his mother was a German teacher. They were already in the minority in Bukovina which was mostly either Ukrainians or Romanians. Yet with the fact he was half Jewish had been looked down on by many. He had hoped that would change once he entered the Landwehr. It didn’t. It was he had been shuffled off to the heavy artillery units within the Landwehr instead of being allowed into one of the better branches. Such as heavy artillery accounted within the Landwehr.

He had seen the newspaper reports coming out of Germany through. The Kaiser, Wilhelm not Franz-Joseph, was actively trying to stomp out Antisemitism within Germany. Further he was making progress on that front. The fact that Wilhelm would regularly visit synagogues within Germany was a telling statement. He knew Franz-Joseph would never do that. It made him think Germany was a better place to make a career, but he stayed in Austria-Hungary as his family still lived in Bukovina.

Then Padovaner reached the section he had been ordered to report to. He noticed a small number of other junior officers and even a few field grade officers. He then joined in the small talk being made with the various officers here as they waited. The talked stopped when Oblast Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf entered the room as he was the one they had been assigned to report to.

Hötzendorf then started a roll call to make sure all the officers were there. They were. “You had all been called here as we had been assigned to be observers within the German Army as they perform their war against China.”

Conrad than outline what they would be doing. They would be joining up with the German force in Alexandria. From there they would be working with the German Army to learn what they could about how the Germans when to war. The Hungarians were also getting the same thing with the Honvéd as part of the deal to allow this to happen. This was because high command knew a single battalion of infantry would give them little insights into how to fight the next war. So they were sending observers to fight with the German Army to learn. Padovaner was one of the officers being assigned to this duty.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 13 2020

Germany was the hub of science, medicine, and engineering on the planet. The de facto language of both was German, even if Germany was a multilingual with five languages being official languages of the empire. That wasn’t counting the other languages of the empire. German however tied everything together and was the de fault language of science, medicine, and engineering. It was why all the students in the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm were here. They wanted to go to the best universities on the planet for science, medicine, or engineering. It was why Ph.D. Candidate Zuzanna Vogel just shook her head as she entered her classroom as she heard the students talking about Foresti 5. Even through it had made history a few days ago.

Unlike a normal gymnasium within the Empire, there weren’t those students fighting to gain one of the limited number of soft science slots at a given university. These students were also a few years older than what was the norm for gymnasium students. Plus, these students had already finished their nation’s own version of gymnasium. Normally they had finished at the top of their respected classes there. It was one of the reasons the AS Sport’s program was treated on the same level V-Toch and university programs which were semi-professional in nature but as well as being amateur as they weren’t unpaid minor leagues for professional sport leagues as they were in some nations.

This was by design as well as an open secret. The Ausländisches Studentenprogramm was designed to siphon off the best of the future crop of scientists, doctors, and engineers from the Shanghai Pact for Germany’s own gains. This would piss off the Shanghai Pact to no end as they hated Germany and its allies with a passion. Then again, education in those nations being when put up against the German system, nothing better than degree mills that cost an arm and a leg, maybe a kidney. Students in those nations always jumped at the chance to join the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm. In Germany if they finished they were all but guarantee a well paying and rewarding job, where at in their home nations it would be hit and miss along with who did your family know.

It was why Zuzanna wished the government would expand AS so it could have some students looking to fight for a slot in one of the soft science programs at every university within the Empire. So this way she would have students who wanted to be in her class instead of taking it to go after what they really wanted. After some housekeeping notes that dealt with the ongoing coronation of Kaiserin Charlotte as this Wednesday would be one of the two national holidays for it.

With the housekeeping done, she turned to the lesson for today. “The China War was believed by many at the time the start of the process of total colonization of China by Europe and Japan. Unlike in Africa through China was an empire in its own right. Even if the core was rotten, the people knew what it was like to be on top. Their defeat in the Sino-Japanese War,” Zuzanna briefly looked at the two students who came from China as that was a touchy subject in China, “had disproven their Self-Strengthening Movement as well as becoming a sore spot in general for them. This was because being defeated by a European Power was one thing, to be defeated by Japan was another.”

“In the wake of their defeat of the Japanese in 1895, the Boxers as we know them which had already been gaining traction in the countryside started to spread. Unlike some who wished to keep modernizing China, the Boxers believed through special diet and special training they could dodge bullets. Given the outcome of the war that theory was disproven, but there was a war within a war. This was what everyone would get in this war.”

“Some powers such as the Austro-Hungarians, Dutch, and Spanish simply wanted a haul of Chinese silver, the remaining powers all wanted land. Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Japan, Italy, and Portugal all had designs on various pieces of land currently held by the Chinese. Some wanted full on colonies, such as Russia and France. Then there were the nations looking for trade ports that they would own. Finally, there was Germany who had their hand in both of those pies.”

“All these different claims on China would come to a head in April 1898. It was to the point that it was briefly looking like a war would break out between the Seven-Power Alliance as it was known. Cooler heads would however win out. This would be codified via the Versailles Agreement signed on May 3 1898.”

At that a map from the projector showed up on the wall. One part of the map so China prior to the China War. Then there was a map of the agreement made of Versailles of how China was to look post war. Finally, there was a map how China ended up looking post war. The second and third maps also included spheres of influence in China. It was clear things had changed from what they wanted to what they would get for everyone. Further it was clear someone had reneged on their agreements.

Relief of the Legations Pt III; Failure

Fukuoka
Imperial Army General Hospital
May 2 1898

Hauptmann Martin Friedrich Langholz was currently recovering from his wounds taken in the failed effort to relieve the International Legations. The mix force of British Royal Marines, German Marines, and the 1st Infantry Division of the Imperial Japanese Army made it as far as Langfang before they had to fall back to Tientsin. Langfang had been a bloody mess of a battle, one that had put Langholz in this hospital.

Langholz closed his eyes as he thought about what could had been done differently at Langfang as he was recovering from multiple gunshot and stab wounds in the effort to Langfang from the Chinese. The battle itself had been brutal. Even with all the troops they had, the Chinese simply attacked in mass numbers and overwhelmed his men and the allied force at Langfang. Langholz knew he had killed at least 21 Chinese in the battle but still he and the whole allied force was forced to withdraw back to Tientsin so they wouldn’t be cut off and destroyed. He had led his men till the loss of blood had caused him to collapse and almost killed him.

The doctors told him in time he would make a full recovery, unlike what the case would had been a few years ago. This was because of advances in the medical field over the last few years. He had been given a blood transfusion, which was still a new process having only been in use for less than a year. It had been a direct transfusion from another person it wasn’t possible to store blood yet.

As for the other advance that was also fairly new was in his post-surgical treatment. He had an infection that would had killed him a few years ago after that surgery needed to close up his wounds and fix him. Yet the sulfa drugs that had been hit the market a year ago in Germany saved him. The doctors had told him as much. Still, it would take time to heal from the surgery and two transfusions. While he waited for those wounds to heal up, he kept coming back to the battle. He kept telling himself he did everything he could but he still was reviewing the battle in his head.

Losing almost half of your company would do that through. Pound for pound the Germans fought better than the Chinese Langholz knew. The problem was there was the Chinese simply outweighed the Germans and indeed the allied forces at Langfang. From the fellow officers he had talked to while recovering he was hearing the Chinese had suffered somewhere on the order of 30,000 casualties to the 2,000 or so allied casualties. Given what he had seen at Langfang he believed it.

In truth, the Chinese suffer closer to 25,000 casualties at Langfang. Over half of those were killed in action. More were dying as infections were setting in and lack of medical supplies were also taking their toll on the Chinese. Yet for the Chinese they were pissed and not taking it anymore. They had drive to take losses if that meant it would force the foreigners out of their nation.

With the failure at Langfang was the death warrant for the International Legations in Peking was signed. So far only two people from the Legations had escaped to Tientsin. It was doubtful anyone would reach Tientsin now. Various newspapers were giving the Frenchman and the American who had made it out whole sections to tell their stories about what happened. Its graphic the stories they were telling. Both however were praising German led effort in the breakout once word had reached them that relief was not for coming with supplies running low.

Langholz was thinking about trying to take a nap to take his mind of refighting Langfang again when he saw number of high ranking officers who weren’t wounded. He wondered what they were doing as he noticed they had an orderly with them. Then they stopped a few beds down and started to read something. It was an award ceremony. He paid attention to what that officer did but was wishing they would get it over with so he could get some sleep.

Then a few moments later they were in front of Langholz’s bed which surprised him. To his surprise he was being awarded the Iron Cross 1898 in the 2nd and 1st Class for his actions at Langfang. Plus, the Japanese were awarding him the Order of the Golden Kite 5th class for his actions at Langfang as well. Then they moved a few beds down for another award. He honestly didn’t know how he felt about this. He lost a lot of members of his company and yet he got the awards. Yet he pushed those thoughts down as he decided he needed to sleep.

Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
June 4 1898

I was looking at the trash bin and was doing my best not to throw up. One of the officers who had been given me this briefing was rushing to find Dona as they had seen be turn white as a ghost as they finished reading the briefing. We had been going over the first reports from General der Kavallerie Alfred von Schlieffen who had led the Deutsche Expeditionstruppe to taken Peking yesterday. The International Legations had fallen to the Chinese some time ago from the reports. What they did was unspeakable. No woman or child should have ever to suffer such a fate. The thought of made my stomach lurch as I felt my lunch coming back up.

Dona came up to me as the first wave of throw up was coming up. I was thankful she hadn’t sat in with me on this briefing. I was still haunted by the men I had killed, in my last life and this one. That had been in combat through or defense of my life. I had order executions in this life as well, along with an assassinated. Taking life was something that would haunt you if you were still had any humanity left. What happened in Peking at the International Legations through, that was inhuman. How could anyone live with themselves after that.

“Baby what is it.” Dona asked me as I kept throwing up. It took me a few minutes before the vile was in the trash bin.

I took the glass of water she offered me to rinse my mouth out. She knew it had to be something bad for me to react this badly. “Daring, I’m going to lose enough sleep about what I just learned.” I said with a somewhat waspy voice. “I don’t need you to learn about it either.”

Dona looked at me with a worry look on her face. “Please baby, I have to figure out how not to become a monster now while I’m fighting to kill one.” Her face when from worried to shock as I said. A moment later she left the room.

I then grabbed my cane and slowly walked to the window. “Gentlemen,” I said slowly but with steel in my voice, “I want a choice of opinions on how to move forward and teach the Chinese a lesson they will never forget on my desk my dinner time. Then we will work on coming up with an answer to this as it will not stand. Remember this, we aren’t the fucking Chinese. We have standards of honor to live up to.”

The people in the room all said yes sir. Then they left to get their plans together. Once I heard the door shut, I closed my eyes and felt a tear come out as I started to cry for those who had died. There would be hell to pay for this. The only question was how would everyone else react to this. For that I didn’t have an answer, and I didn’t like this feel.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XII

The Hauge
Noordeinde Palace
June 15 1898

After the news of the Massacre of the International Legations of Peking had broke it started a wave of anti-Chinese protest across Europe. The press was having a field day with the information that was coming out. The Yellow Journalism I had studied at USF didn’t hold a bloody candle to the stuff that was being printed right now. Worse the majority of it was the truth. Outrage was the order of the day, and the reason this international summit had been thrown together this quickly as this alliance against China was fragile to start with. If it fell apart, there would be the possibly of a general war which was the last thing I wanted.

I was hoping the work of myself and the foreign office on how to divide the spoils of war once China surrendered wouldn’t be pissed down the drain here. It had taken a lot to get that agreed to. My empire would take direct control over Hainan and an enlarged Kiautschou Bay concession. This would also include an SOI in the Shandong Peninsula. I did have to give up the idea of annexing the Temple Islands in the Bohai Sea, but those had been something I had been willing to give up to get Hainan along with better relations with other nations.

The Japanese was set to grab up a bunch of islands off the coast of Hokkien. I had given them the Temple Islands to smooth over the sore feelings about the Russians having taken over the Liaodong Peninsula directly along with getting their support elsewhere. Off the coast of Hokkien, they were set to take Amoy Island and a cluster of Islands around it. Farther norther they were taking the Matsu Islands and islands in Sansha Bay. Near Foochow they were taking a number of islands in the Min River Delta with the two biggest being Langqi and Cangshan. This was a big prize given the Foochow Aresnal[1] was there.

For the Russians they had their own rich prizes to claim. Besides the Liaodong Peninsula they were set up to annex Tuva and Mongolia. They however clearly wanted Manchuria as well. This caused a hard no from everyone but the French. Even the French weren’t that crazy about it from what I could. It was this along with Shanghai that had almost caused the alliance to break up and start a general war. It had taken some fancy foot work to stop this. They had special rights in Manchuria, but I knew they were not likely to leave Manchuria once the war ended.

The British were set up to take a more defensible New Territories for Hong Kong than I knew from my history, if memory served. Along with that they were directly setting up colonies in Canton, Tientsin, and the Chongming District. They had made a push for Shanghai as well, but like with Manchuria it was a hard no from almost everyone else. I gave luke warm support to the idea but I wasn’t crazy about it myself. They were also set to take over Tibet as protectorate. Tientsin however had some special deals to allow everyone else use it as a free trade port, but it would be under British control.

France was moving into Yunnan and add it into their growing Indochina colony. They were also getting the Paracel and Spratly Islands as part of the deal that got me Hainan. There had been a lot of back and fore between London and Paris over the British taking over Canton, but both had wanted southern China within their sphere of influence. The impasse was only settled when I came up with the idea of the Chongming District as I knew it going to the British with the French taking over Chusan. The British at first wanted Chusan but when I allowed that idea to surface from the Portuguese who I was working with had allowed it to become a workable deal.

Then it came to the table scraps when it came to land being handed out. The Portuguese had wanted Canton for themselves, but the British and French had noped them there. With the Yangtze being off the table they had to take a different path. In the end they ended up with an agreement to allow them to colonize some of the islands around Macau and Namoa. The British were getting the large majority of the islands at the mouth of the Peral River Delta but the Portuguese were getting a few around Macau to increase their presence in the area. For the Italians they had been set on taking Dongtou District, the Islands in Yueqing Bay and a small peninsula that border that bay and the East China Sea.

Now through with the Massacre of the International Legations of Peking I feared this wasn’t going to be enough to deal with the blood lust that was coming from not only the public but a number of governments as well. The foreign office and myself had burnt the midnight oil trying to find a way to satisfy that blood lust and keep China from becoming the new Paraguay as it would be known here. Or as I knew it Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea we had and would be putting to the forward when it came are turn was puppet states carved out of China with a rump China remaining. Shanghai would become an international city. Inner Mongolia would also go to the Russians in effort to keep them from pressing their dream for Russian Manchuria. The remaining China would pay a much higher indemnity, along with China being looted like no tomorrow. Further they would be partly disarmed. This would be on top of everything we had prior agreements to. I just didn’t know if it would be enough to deal with that blood lust.

[1] From what I been able to find, I’m assuming the shipyards were there.

Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt III

Southeast of Peking
Forward Edge of Battle
June 23 1898

Lieutenant Martin Padovaner of the Imperial-Royal Landwehr Artillery was fiddling with his revolver as he tried to get it to work again. The old Gasser M1870 was a heavy son of a bitch that had jammed on him after he put a 11mm round into a head of one of the Chinese Gansu Braves. The ejection rod had come lose and jammed into the cylinder of the revolver. That was keeping the cylinder from indexing correctly.

Then a Chinese artillery round when off near by spraying dirt and dust everywhere. Yet he kept trying to get his revolver working again. When he tried to forced the cylinder to move, he saw the safety spring break and fall out as the iron frame of the revolver gave way. He threw the revolver to the ground in disgust.

Feldwebelleutnant Hans Dallmann who was with him just shook his head, “Here you go sir.” As he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Browning-Mauser M1894 Pocket Pistol. Dallmann himself was carrying another semi-automatic pistol but unlike the now useless M1870 Gasser Pistol this was in an early field trial at the moment. It was part of the German Army’s testing program on semi-automatic pistols.

The pistol in question being used by Dallmann was a rework of the Borchardt C-93 pistol and had only been presented to the army last year. The rework of the design by Georg Luger had removed the balance issues of the Borchardt C-93. It also increased the power of the gun by going to the new 9 mm Parabellum cartridge that Kaiser Wilhelm was pushing for to be the army and navy standard. Dallmann was using the artillery variant of the pistol with a 200 mm long barrel and the ability to attach a shoulder stock which allowed it to be use it as a light carbine. It also came with a 32 round drum magazine, of which Dallmann had two of them. He also had another four of the normal eight round magazines that were issued to infantry officers. They simply hadn’t enough 32 round drums to issue for this.

Padovaner took the pocket pistol which was clearly the back up pistol of the junior officer. “Thank you.” Padovaner had noticed in his time with the German Army they were far better equipped than the Imperial-Royal Landwehr, never mind the Royal Hungarian Honvéd and Common Army. Plus, there was just more of everything. Further, unlike in Austro-Hungary where the talk was to replace the Gasser with a smokeless powder revolver, the Germans were looking at going to the new semi-automatic pistols that had been coming on the market in the past few years.

The sound of machine guns from one of the forward German machine guns kept them focus on the battle that was being fought around them. After leaving a garrison for to maintain control of Peking, von Schlieffen and General Oku Yasukata were swinging their forces south in effort to chase down the Qing government who had fled Peking before von Schlieffen’s forces could take the city. Yasukata only a few days ago through had been the commander of the Imperial Guard Division of the Japanese Army. He however had assumed overall command of Japanese forces following the death of Nogi Maresuke who fallen in battle. Currently they were on the road to Baozhou.

Dallmann picked up the field telephone and started calling in heavy corp level artillery support to break up an assault by the Braves and Boxers as they were making another push. The artillery itself was a battery of 15 cm Ring Kanone C/72 that were four kilometers behind the lines. They were slow firing but packed a hell of a punch. Even more so since they were firing new high explosive shells along with shrapnel shells. They were slow firing, but every shell that hit hurt.

Smaller and lighter artillery were also in the fight. Padovaner who was an observer for the Austro-Hungarian Empire watched as German artillery fire was being brought to bear on the Gansu Braves. The Braves and the Boxers were proving to be the only Chinese forces that could fight toe to toe with the member states of the Seven Power Alliance. Other formations of the Chinese Army hadn’t been an impressive lot unless they had overwhelming edge in numbers. They were often poorly led and equipped. It seemed that after Langfang many just didn’t have much fight. Well outside the Braves and Boxers. This was mainly because those who did want to fight outside those two groups had died at Langfang. The Braves through wanted to keep fighting and were well equipped and led. The Boxers were neither, but they had nothing left to lose at this point either.

The Boxers knew their fate. It depended on which army captured them it however always ended in their death. In the German Army they were given a trial before being hung for being an illegal combatant. German High Command had decided the Boxers were not proper soldiers and as such weren’t entitled to prisoner of war status or the rights of surrender soldiers. They were put before a judge, and then found guilty. Then hung. It took all about two days within the German military system. Other nations had other methods that were faster with the majority only lasting a few hours in other nations systems if they weren’t killed outright by the troops that were capturing them.

The only thing was the war had been brutal on the Gansu Braves and the Wuwei Corp. They had suffered close to 40% casualties. Reinforcements were not fore coming, and resupply was becoming a problem. Even more so as some other Chinese Army commanders were seeing which way the wind was blowing. Some were declaring themselves neutral and saving their forces for the coming fight for the soul of China. Others were sending out feelers to the Seven Power Alliance for support. It was simply a mess for domestic Chinese politics right now.

None of that matter through at the moment. The Braves were fighting here so the allies were giving as good as they got to take the field here.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
July 13 1898

“So, the Russians are setting up to stay in Manchuria no matter what the final treaty says?” I asked Konteradmiral August von Heeringen.

A long-term goal of mine was to have a professional intelligence and counter intelligence agency. My intelligence agency was currently still forming into a single unit. As such there were still growing pains in the Geheimdienst. The military people weren’t happy they were also having to look at things from a foreign service angle as well as an economic angle as well as a military angle. The foreign service and economic people were having their own friction with each other and the military officers. This was because I viewed the intelligence service as a triangle, with the military, foreign service, and economics all forming a part of the triangle. Without that triangle you got an unfinished product that might lead you to make mistakes something I couldn’t have happen.

Even with the growing pains, they were still producing useful intelligence. “Based on our sources in Russia, at the moment the Pacific expansion wing of their foreign offices has the ear of Tsar Nicholas. Based on our sources they view their annexation of Manchuria once it happens as fait accompli.”

I was studying the map on the table. Our latest intelligence put the Russian invasion force of Manchuria just outside Mukden. Given the lack of fight in Chinese troops were putting up now after the Wuwei Corp had been shattered at Baozhou everyone was rushing to secure their promised pieces of land. Everyone could see the end of the war was in sight. It was now about securing everything that had been promised to them earlier this year, as well as other places as it had been agreed to hand a few more pieces out. Well, that and loot China for all it was worth.

China itself was a mess at the moment. The various governors of different provinces had started to reach out to us seeking terms to end the war, not for the whole of China but their province. The fate of Empress Dowager Cixi was currently unknown. I had seen reports that she was dead and there was a vicious fight to see who would have the one to sign a treaty with us. There was also an equally brutal fight to see who would have the honor of trying to write the ship.

“Any talk from our sources about what the Russians were planning to do in East Turkestan?” I asked.

“Our sources had told us a move into the Junggar Basin is possible, but not a sure thing. They are having issues with the follows of Muhammad that are already in their borders. The question is do they want more of them in their borders for the logistical headaches of adding the Junggar Basin to their empire.”

Personally, I really didn’t care about Central Asia as I had no way of dealing with the area. But Russian efforts here could tell me how the final treaty would shape up. Plus, if just the Junggar Basin or all of East Turkestan, it was something they most likely could get in any peace treaty supported by everyone. Currently my second corp I had assigned to China was at Singapore getting ready to make the move to China and land on Hainan. I had already moved my Imperial Guard formations to the Shandong Peninsula to secure what I could there.

The question through was did I want more of Shandong than taking Tsingtao than I already was. Weihaiwei and Chefoo both offered up good ports, if not as good as Tsingtao. On the other hand, they both would give me more things I would have to put money into and guard. Plus, it would give Japan another reason to stab me in the back latter, as they wanted territory. They however hadn’t committed themselves publicly to taking more land from China at the moment. Honestly, I think what they were taking was pushing them to their limits. Long term through was something I had to look at as well as short term.

The Italians and Portuguese didn’t seem to want more land than what had already been promised to them. The Italians because they couldn’t effectively control more. The Portuguese because they couldn’t get what they really wanted as they clearly still wanted Canton even through that city was going to the British. The French wanted to add Guangxi to Indochina now as well. At least some of it. The British had brought up them taking Shanghai again as well. This was on top of a strip from Canton to their Hong Kong colony’s New Territories to the south.

I still wasn’t crazy about the British taking Shanghai for themselves. I was going to bring up the idea of Shanghai being an international city under joint occupation but still Chinese land. But I still had a question of what to do for my future efforts in China. Or for that matter how much longer this war would last. China just seemed like a broken nation now.

Ending a War Pt I

Sham Chun, British Empire Occupied
Bivouac of the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles
September 8 1898

Lance Corporal Matt Jones was cleaning his Lee-Metford rifle as he waited for his duty assignment tomorrow morning. Given it was evening right now he most likely would catch some sleep before then had through. The 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles had taken apart in the Canton Campaign which had wrapped up a while ago. Currently they were on garrison duty waiting for an official word about their future. Rumor was going around that the Qing Empire had sought out peace terms with the Seven Power Alliance and a peace treaty was being hammered out in Vladivostok.

There were more rumors going on besides a possible end to the war in China. The Boers in Southern Africa had declared war a month ago against the British Empire. The rumor running through the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles was they would move to Southern Africa to fight the Boers and defeat the new foe of the empire there as well. Here in Southern China the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles had proven their worth in battle. This came at the most hard-fought battle in Southern China, this being the Battle of Sham Chun. This was a battle to relieve the Siege of Hong Kong that had been on going since the start of the war. It was at that battle that Matt had earned a promotion for his bravery along with a mentioned in dispatches.

When one of his fellow soldiers showed up with a stupid looking grin on his face Matt just shook his head. “You catch yellow fever again?” Yellow fever was slang within the unit and indeed the majority of the British effort about engaging the services of a Chinese woman for an evening. Even through their officers had ordered them not to engage Chinese women for these services it still didn’t stop the men from doing so.

“Can you blame me Lance? Two pence for a ‘lady’ for the night? In Melbourne the working girls there would had laughed at you for such an offer. They would had demanded at least a shilling for anything. Here? They will jump in your arms for such an offer.”

There was a reason for that. The various armies that had befallen on China had looted anything not nailed down. If nailed down, they would find ways to remove it and still pack it up with the rest of the loot. Many families simply didn’t have enough money to buy food, mostly from either the lost of job or property, in a number of cases both. Further given the front lines had cut the coastal cities from the rice harvests of the interior. There was fishing on going, but it wasn’t enough to feed the occupying army and the civilian population. The occupying army got priority. As such women were turning to the world’s oldest profession in effort to put food on the table for themselves and their families.

“Yes, I can blame you Tommy. What happens when you get a VD from one of those women and give it to your future wife? At least in Melbourne the women were clean. And if an officer catches you its going to cost you far more than that two pence you are paying for the lady of the night.”

“Lance do you take me for a fool?” The banter when from there as Tom Jones also started working on cleaning his own Lee-Metford rifle. They both would have to stand guard duty tomorrow. Even through the Chinese here in Sham Chun had been peaceful for the most part, they weren’t taking any chances. The reports from the north were enough to make sure they stayed on their guard. Even Tom had a field knife on him when he left base for his R&R along with having a buddy with him.

This banter stopped through when Colonel Tom Price called the unit together in formation. It took a few moments for the “regiment” even through it was only 239 strong at the moment. Seven of their numbers had fallen in battle. Another four were wounded to such a degree they had been shipped back to Victoria to recover. The other wounded had since rejoined their unit.

With the regiment in formation Colonel Price started to speak, “Men, today I had received official word that the Chinese had signed the peace treaty in Vladivostok.” There were cheers from all the men at the news. “You will be proud to know you are now standing in one of the newest colonies within the Empire.” Again, more cheers were heard from the men.

“With this war over, orders had come down for the unit to be shipped to Southern Africa to take on the Boers.” Unlike the first few parts of the speech there were no cheers to this news. “Once in Southern Africa we will teach the Boers they had picked the wrong fight and we will made them regret it just like we made the Chinese regret their choices here!” There were cheers here through.

In ten days, the regiment would sail for Natal Colony to reinforce British forces there in their fight against the Boer.

Chinese Aftermath, Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 13 2020

Zuzanna looked back at her students as the map of China post-Treaty of Vladivostok was being display. To put it mildly China looked like something had was drawing lines where ever they wanted and shaded in areas just for the fun of it. “The China War through short would have lasting effects on China that would take generations to even attempt to start the healing process.”

Looking at the two Chinese students in the class, Zuzanna knew they didn’t agree with that statement. Even in the historical community there was a divide on when China exited the Wilderness Era. Some pointed to the signing of the Shanghai Pact in 1971 with other nations that formed a counter to the German led GATO alliance. Others pointed to events in World War II as the point China exited the Wilderness Era that followed its defeat in the China War. Then there was a third set of historians who believed China didn’t exit the Wilderness Era till the defeat of the final warlord in China by the central government in the early 90s. There were a minority who believed China was still in the Wilderness Era of Chinese history.

Zuzanna knew from her time teaching here while working to her Ph.D. that students from the Republic of China took time to adjust to the freedoms they had here. Even through the American students were taken back by it, they had living memory history of these freedoms. China didn’t have that. It was getting to the point they were seriously looking at adding another term for Chinese students to help them adjust to life in the German Empire as they were failing AS at rates far higher than the norm.

“In terms of human life lost, The China War was bloody for the era. Within the Seven Power Alliance, their casualties outside the fall of the International Legations, were almost totally military in nature. Outside the deaths of 1,100 westerners and Japanese and 3,000 Chinese Christians who died when the International Legations fell, the casualties of the Seven Power Alliance stood at just over two thousand who died and ten thousand wounded. China through suffered far worse than that. There however are disagreements to just how many casualties suffered because of the war. The most accepted figures are just over a half of million who died in the war, along with well over a million more that had been disfigured or mutilated in some form from this war.”

Figures for China ran as low as 100,000 killed to well over 2 million dead. It really depended on the source. But the most agree to figures were around half a million died in the war and a million plus wounded in various forms either through direct combat or the side effects of the war.

“With the signing of the Treaty of Vladivostok, many viewed it as the start of full-on colonization of China. Documents that have come out from the national archives in a host of nations have made it clear that was a commonly held belief in many nations that was held in by the capitals across the world. The end of the war itself was meant for them to securing positions for future growth into China. Events through caused these plans to largely fall flat even through a few tried, and most of those failed.”

Map of German Tsingtau

Family Time 1898

Near Bisingen
Burg Hohenzollern
November 2 1898

I picked up a stick from the ground where Rocky had dropped it. Then I gave it a good throw and sure enough Rocky when chasing after it. The all black German Shepherd was around two years old now. He was one of three dogs I owned at the moment. The other two was Luna who was a seven-year-old Komondor and Bear a five-year-old Beagle. I had always enjoyed the company of dogs. Take care of them, they will take care of you. Personally, my preference was for either working dogs or hounds over the small toy dogs that Dona liked. She had a pair of yorkies that came out of the same litter that were nine years old now. Junior even had himself a boxer that was two years of age.

At this point I had a vet and pet groomer on my personal staff to take care of the dogs of the family and other animals I own. I never cared for the horses through. Honestly, I only ever would ride them when I had to. Even through Dona loved them and always wanted to ride when she had the chance to. I personally never cared to do it. Prior to ending up here, I only ever did it as a way to date women I liked. Here I had to do it for various events and when Dona dragged me out for it. Still, I didn’t like riding horses.

Dogs through I loved. Rocky was coming back with the stick I had just thrown. Once he got back to me he sat down with the stick in his mouth. “Good Boy.” I said as I rubbed his head. Then I took the stick from the ground and threw again. Rocky took off in the brisk early winter weather of the Swabian Jura. Currently Dona and I along with the family was taking a vacation after the hell of the year. The two-armed guards near by told me things were the same as they had been.

In the aftermath of the assassinated of Ambassador Bernhard von Bülow and my own near brush with an assassination attempt the last year had caused things to change. Now in Germany I had two members of the Imperial Guard with me as personal body guards. Outside of Germany it would be a pair of Royal Marines. Lesser royals or critical personal of the government would have a single body guard with them. Either from the Imperial Guard or Royal Marines depending on where they were.

Even through this had been a stressful year, it had been a good year. It was why the family was taking the vacation. Even through it was never a true vacation where I totally disconnected from the world. Too much was going on and I needed to keep up with various events from around the world. Still unlike when I was in Berlin when I was working for the majority of the day, here it was simply a morning and evening brief that lasted 30 minutes at the most.

When Rocky brought the stick back this time, I looked at my wrist watch. It was getting close to dinner time. “Come on Rocky its time to head back home.” I said. At that we started walking back to the castle which was only about 200 meters behind us. Walking with a cane sucked, but it was what I had to do at this point. My doctors had told me my knee wouldn’t ever heal correctly. Yet it was better than the fact they had told me at the start after tearing my ACL that I would be a lucky to walk again.

The guards stood at the door once we reached the castle. Once in the castle I took Rocky to the area where we kept our dogs. I knelt down and rubbed his head and back for a moment. “Such a good boy.” I said as I slowly got back up. I was still taking it easy on my knee as I didn’t want to suffer a setback to restart the hell that was rehab. Then I started off to the dinning hall for dinner. Tonight, was going to be Schweizer Steaks for dinner and I was honestly looking forward to it.

As I walked, my mind was working. I was thinking about somethings that would be coming up in the next year or two. It would take a while to get what I had decided to do ready. Yet I would be informing the kids of this. It honestly would suck to stay away from the kids that long, but I honestly felt like I needed to do this. Plus it would finally give me a reason to bring American style barbecue to Germany. It was one of only two things I really wanted that I missed. The other being the few friends I had back in the 21st century. That through I knew I never would get back.

Once in the dinning hall I found Dona already sitting in her seat with a few of the kids here as well. I walked over to Dona and gave her a kiss before taking my seat at the head of the table. It took a few more moments before all the kids entered the dinning hall. Our youngest children were now six years old. Somehow all four of the Kaiser Quad as they were known were still alive and growing normally. When they were all seated, the butler came up and poured me a beer into a mug. The sommelier we had poured Dona a glass of wine. The children still weren’t allowed to strong drink yet. Through we were talking about allowing junior to start having a single beer with dinner. No decision on that through had been made as of yet.

“Children,” I started once both the butler and sommelier had left the room, “Next year during the summer time, your mother and I will be performing a good will tour around the world.” You could see the shock faces on them. Dona and I needed to get them ready for this through. At this point we started to explain things.

Tech Growth Part X

Oberndorf
Mauser Firing Range
December 14 1898

I pushed the stripper clip into one of the field trials rifles that had been produced for the upcoming troop trials. Once all ten rounds where in the internal magazine I pulled the dual stripper clip off from the charger guide. Then I smacked the operating rod forward to send the bolt forward. Sure, enough the bolt when forward and picked up one of the 7 mm Mauser rounds, I had just loaded and slammed it into the breech. I then pulled the trigger. It was a nice two stage trigger with a clean break. It wasn’t a match trigger like with a few of my rifles I owned and had taken up shooting competitions with. However, it would allow German service members to have the great marksmanship with it.

My target was at 300 meters. I put lead on target, then repeated till the bolt locked backed with the last of the ten rounds being fired. I then picked up the second to last of the specially designed duel stripper clips that would feed all ten rounds at once and loaded this rifle again. Once again, I let loose with the ten rounds of 7 mm Mauser I had. This rifle was a bloody joy to shoot. If it wasn’t a troop trial rifle I most likely be trying to take this home with me.

Once I was out of ammo, I sat the rifle down on the table we had been using. The rifle was nice and toasty now after I had put 150 rounds through it in under a half an hour. Taking off my ear protectors I turned to Paul Mauser, “You did a wonderful job with this rifle Herr Mauser.” I informed him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He replied. Paul knew it would soon be Paul von Mauser as in the January 1899 list I was making him a member of the nobility. He would become a Herr for services to the empire. It was one thing I was doing, those in various industries who had performed well and build up large industries or for noted inventors they were becomes nobles. Granted at the lower ranks of it, but still it was part of the dance I was taking part in. Given the work Paul Mauser had done for the empire he had earned it.

It had taken Paul Mauser the better part of ten years to get my drawings of an M1 Garand to a workable form. Currently a few hundred field trials rifles had been made and they would be sent out with a few hundred more slated to be made for troop trials over the next two years in the spring of next year. I was hoping to make it the standard service rifle by 1902 or 03 and give the German infantry an edge that no other nation would hold for a at least a decade. I knew from my intelligence reports most other nations had crash started their own semi-automatic rifle programs as they learned of this rifle, but I knew you can’t crash design a semi-auto rifle unless you did in a war time set up. Which they weren’t. So, I was hoping to have every German infantryman equipped with one of these by the time the first great war came.

Granted it wasn’t as I designed it. It didn’t use the en-bloc clips like the Garand I knew. Further the sights were noticeably different. Thankfully Mauser didn’t use the damn Langevisier sights I knew had been used on the Mauser 98 in the world I had come from. Those simply were too damn expensive to throw on a rifle that was already four times the cost of the current Mauser 89 in service. Instead, it was using a tangent sight that could reach out and touch someone at 2,000 meters but had a battle zero of 300 meters. There were some other minor changes, but still it was a good rifle.

Hauptmann Georg Bruchmüller, walked behind us I made small talk with Paul on our way back to the office as his staff cleaned up the brass from the test firing. Bruchmüller was carrying the rifle as given I still needed a cane to walk, I couldn’t do. Bruchmüller was one of the newest officers in my pool of aide-de-camps. Freshly returned from China where he had performed well as a battery commander. Further he had been awarded the Iron Cross Second Class for his actions in that war during the Battle of Peking. Now he was assigned to the group of officers I was using to better understand the current way of warfare along with planning ideas into those officers’ heads to advance warfare.

Once we were back in Paul’s office Bruchmüller brought me my briefcase. He unlocked it before he handed it to me. “Herr Mauser, I have another task for you and I believe you are up to the challenge.” As I viewed the papers once more before I handed them over. I had spent the better part of the past three years working on and off this. It however was the reports coming out of China that put a fire under my ass to get it done. I had before been waiting till the Garand knock off had been fielded before starting work on this. Yet what happened in China caused me to move these plans forward.

Unlike the Garand, I couldn’t draw this set of plans from pure memory. That was because when I had been in the US Army in the 21st century I had been issued either with a M16A4 or an M4 Carbine. That was still a bridge too far, and I knew it. So instead, I had been working on a submachine gun design. Since I had been working from nothing more than a general idea it took a lot more work to get a design that I believe would be good enough to hand off to Paul Mauser. I believed it was close to the MP-28 design along with the magazine. But I could be wrong through as there were a lot of milled submachine guns from the time period I was thinking of when I designed this.

Paul took the papers and looked at them. “A pistol caliber carbine sir?”

“Close Herr Mauser. No, a maschinenpistole as I expect this to fire fully automatically.”

That had Paul take another look at me. “Sir, I must say once again, you would done well as a gunsmith.”

“Thank you Herr Mauser.” Then again John Browning had told me the same thing a few days ago. I was hell bent to make sure the German Army was the best armed and equipped army in the whole world.

1898 End Year Review

Domestic

Naval Law of 1898

This law reforms a massive reorganization of the Kaiserliche Marine. Its designed to build up to a navy that will be able to defend Germany from both France and Russia as well as maintain a presence in the colonies. The highlights of this reorganization is it forms two sea going commands. The first is the Heimatflotte that stays in home waters of the North Sea and Baltic. Then there is the Kolonialgeschwader, which serves in the colonies. Finally, it formed the Seebataillon into the Kaiserliche Marinekorps. This is akin to HM Royal Marines and the USMC. Yes, they get snappy looking uniforms.

Under this law, the fleet size is set to be as follows. 18 battleships that serve for 20 years prior to being replaced by newer ships. For armored cruisers its set up for a total of eight with four designed to service as flagships for colonial duty stations and the other four to service with the home fleet with 15 years replacement cycle. The law also states the KM will maintain 4 Coastal Defense Ships with a 15 year replacement cycle, 28 Light Cruisers again a 15 year replacement cycle, and 60 Torpedo Boat Destroyers again a 15 year replacement cycle. There are lighter craft, but those are the highlights of ships.

Before anyone ask, the British know this was in the works and accepted these numbers after some back and fore between Berlin and London.

Things like U-boats and Zeppelins don’t have limits because they emerging technologies that need testing and need refinement. As such it was decided not to cap these so long as the navy buys only one or two at a time. Also, funding is put into improving naval bases across the empire.

Royal Production and Embassy Protection Act of 1898

Following the failed assassination attempt on Wilhelm and the assassination of a German ambassador within a year of each other has caused this law to pass. The Kaiser and heads of various ruling royal houses are entitled to two guards from the Imperial Guard Corp of the German Army to serve as body guards. This is set up so they will work four hour shifts, so 12 total per ruling house. This also applies to the crown prince/princess of the various royal houses. The Chancellor of Germany is entitled to a single body guard from the Imperial Guard Corp. When overseas the duty changes to the German Marine Corp. Further, ambassadors are entitled to a single body guard with them at all times if they so wish.

Further all embassies can when needed called on for a platoon of German Marines to guard their embassies. This is not a full-time detail where every embassy has this. For this to happen the ambassador or ranking diplomatic member of the embassy/diplomatic mission has to cable Berlin and request the Marines to join them. The reasons that are approved for sending such a request are as follows; war, civil unrest/civil war, or creditable threats against the embassy/diplomatic mission. Once these things are over, the Marines return to their normal duty stations.

Finally it set up a school to train those assigned to body guard duty are trained in the needed skills to defend those under their guards.

Strafbataillon Act of 1898

This covers the formation of these units. Further those who serve honorably in these units will be given a homestead in a German colony of their choice. Those achieve a general service discharge will simply be given their clemency paperwork and a ticket home or the colony of their choice. Unhonorable service in such units will see these people simply thrown back in prison at the end of their hitch.

Changes Within Government Personal

Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner has been named the Chancellor of Germany.

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Vladivostok

Section I; Territorial in perpetuity and full sovereignty surrender by the Qing Empire(China) to the members of the Seven Power Alliance, along with all Qing Government Buildings, arsenals, etc that lie herein the following territories.

- Germany gains full control of Hainan Island, Luodousha Island, Tsingato [G1 Map], Weihaiwei [G2 Map]

- France gains gull control of Weizhou Island, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, Zhanjiang[F1 Map] Yunnan, Chusan.

- Japan gains the Temple Islands, Amoy Island, Quemoy Islands, Small Islands within 10 kilometers of Amoy and Quemoy Islands[J1 Note], Matsu Islands, Langqi and Cangshan Islands, all the Islands in the Min River Delta, and Pingtan County[J2 Note].

- Russia gains Tuva, Mongolia, the Junggar Basin, the Southern Part of the Liaodong Peninsula[R1 Note], and the Elliot Islands.

- The British gain the Chongming District, Tientsin, Canton, New Territories[B1 Note], Sham Chun[B2 Note], Dongguan[B3 Note], and all the islands in the Pearl River Delta save those named to given to Portugal.

- Portugal gains the Jinwan District, Hengquin Island, and Namoa Island.

- Italy gains the Dongtou Islands, the Islands in Yueqing Bay and Xumanmen Bay[I1 Note], and the Yuhuan Peninsula[I2 Note]

- The Peking Legation Quarters shall be transferred to the control of the owners of that section of land along with other parts near these areas[PLQ1 Note]

Section II; The International City of Shanghai

- The city of Shanghai shall remain under the ownership of the Qing Empire.

- The city of Shanghai however, will be occupied and administered by a council of Germany, Japan, France, Russia, Britain, and Italy.

- The Qing Empire may not garrison or put any armed force within Shanghai. Nor have forts or other military bases within 20 kilometers of Shanghai.

- The Qing Empire may not place any tariff on any products coming into China via Shanghai.

Section III; Granting Independence to Tibet

- China hereby gives diplomatic recognition to Tibet

- All other signers of this treaty hereby gives diplomatic recognition to Tibet.

- All signers of this treaty hereby recognizes that Tibet is a protectorate of the British Empire.

Section IV; All other Territories

All other occupied territories shall be returned to the Qing Empire within a year of signing of this treaty. [R2 Note][Gen Note]

Section V; Indemnity

- Germany is to receive an indemnity of 350 million silver tael.

- France is to receive an indemnity of 150 million silver tael.

- Japan is to receive an indemnity of 200 million silver tael.

- Russia is to receive an indemnity of 150 million silver tael.

- Britain is to receive an indemnity of 350 million silver tael.

- Portugal is to receive an indemnity of 25 million silver tael.

- Italy is to receive an indemnity of 40 million silver tael.

- The Netherlands is to receive an indemnity of 10 million silver tael.

- Spain is to receive an indemnity of 10 million silver tael.

- Austria-Hungary is to receive an indemnity of 50 million silver tael.

- Families/Next of Kin of the victims of the Massacre of the International Legions of Peking shall be paid an indemnity of 100,000 silver tael.

- This indemnity shall be paid over the next 15 years with a 5.5% interest rate accumulate on the indemnity. Save for Section V Subsection K, which shall be paid in full in 1900 with no interest accumulation.

- Payment of the indemnity is preferred to be made in silver, gold, gemstones, or platinum. However, China may pay in other resources as well. If China choses this choice they shall pay a 25% surcharge to that year payment shall that government accept that form of payment. This does not apply to Section V Subsection K.

- Payments shall start in 1900.

- Late payments shall see a 50% surcharge to that payment.

- All future governments of China shall the Qing Empire fall will still be held liable for payment of the indemnity.

Section VI; Economic Matters

- China grants most favored nation status to all nations named in Section V

- The Chinese Government shall not raise any tariffs of any kind till the indemnity is paid off in full.

- All Chinese ports must be open to foreign flag ships.

- Germany has sole rights to own railway and mining companies on the Shandong Peninsula.

- Russia has sole rights to own railway and mining companies in Manchuria. [R3 Note]

- Britain has sole rights to own railway companies that connect to Peking or within 100 kilometers of Peking. Further they have sole rights to own railway and mining companies in the Pearl River Delta Basin.

- The following rivers are now international waterways and can be patrol by all signers of this treaty save China; Pearl, Min, Yangtze, and Han.

- The Qing Empire is financially liable to help any of its former citizens who wish to leave areas cover in Section I and II of this treaty.

Section VII; Other Matters

- The Chinese government shall handover forthwith all government officials to supported the Boxer and Red Lantern movements to the nations of the Seven Powers Alliance to stand trial. Or took part in the Massacre of the International Legions of Peking.

- All Chinese government officials shall never join any anti-foreign movements.

- The Chinese government shall handover forthwith all members of the Boxers and Red Lanterns to the nations of the Seven Powers Alliance to stand trial.

- The Chinese government shall under pain of restarting this war will stop anti-foreign movements from forming within their nation again.

- The Qing Empire may not import weaponry, ammunition, or ordnance of any kind till the indemnity is paid off.

- The Chinese government shall to everything within its power to protect Christian missionaries within their borders.

- The Chinese government in the failure of Section VII subsection E, shall grant policing powers to law enforcement agents of the Christian missionary country of origin to investigation the murder of said missionary.

- In relation to Section VII subsections F and G, the Chinese Government shall extradite the person or persons who the law enforcement agents from Section VII subsection F find who committed the murder the Christian missionary.

- Section VII Subsections G and H shall also be use in the event of a murder of any diplomatic personal of any signers of this treaty save for China.

- The Chinese government shall give an understanding to all Chinese Christians as well as protection.

- The Chinese Emperor shall bow before the new German Ambassador to China and apology for the assassination of Ambassador Bernhard von Bülow on their first meeting.

- The formal Chinese Ambassador to the German Empire shall bow before Kaiser Wilhelm the Second and offer his personal apology for the way he acted on Feb 13 1898. This shall take place in a nation of choice by Kaiser Wilhelm.

[G1 Map]

See earlier map posted on German Tsingato for the size of it.

[G2 Map]

[F1 Map]; Sections one through four are now French.

[J1 Note]

This is to cover all those small islands that are hard to find names for next to Xiamen and Kinmen County.

[J2 Note]

I don’t know what the name is for these islands, as such I’m using the modern name instead of the period name that I am trying to use for this.

[R1 Note]

Same as OTL, no reason to change this.

[B1 Note]

I’m not sure what this being called ITL.

[B2 Note]

This is current borders for Shenzhen.

[B3 Note]

Again current borders for Dongguan.

[I1 Note]

In Google Maps, look just to the north of Dongtou County, those islands and bays are what I’m talking about.

[I2 Note]

Again using Google maps, its not the whole of Yuhuan, but where there is that bottleneck is where the border between Italian Yuhuan and China is.

[PLQ Note 1]

Basically you are looking at the Peking Legation Quarters becoming akin to the OTL Concessions of Tientsin, only in Peking.

[R2 Note]

Russia refuses to return Manchuria to China.

[R3 Note]

This was an attempt to get Russia to leave Manchuria, but failed.

[Gen Note]

Yes everyone is looting the shit out of China at the moment.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

Stabilizing

Russia

Dropping Like a Rock

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Maschinengewehr 98

Mass: 46.25 kg
Length: 975 mm
Barrel Length: 610 mm
Cartridge: 7 mm Mauser
Action: Recoil-Operated
Rate of Fire: 450 RPM
Feed System: 200 round cloth belts

10 cm Feldkanone 98

Mass: 2,330 kg
Barrel Length: L/29
Crew: 6
Recoil: Hydraulic
Breech: Interrupted Screw
Carriage: Spilt Trail
Rate of Fire: 3 RPM (Sustained), 9 RPM (Burst)

Prinz Adalbert Class Armored Cruiser

9,500 tons Standard Load, 4 x 21 cm L/40s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 22 kts

2 Ordered

Z1 Class Destroyers

350 tons Standard Load, 3 x 5 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 27 kts

12 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee is never going to heal correctly. That said, he can walk with the aid of a cane fairly well and stand without the aid of a cane. Running through is out of the question. He has changed his workout routine to low impact exercises to help deal with the damage his knee has been through. He still is in good spirits through.

Dona is healthy and in good spirits.

Planning Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
January 23 1899

I was finishing up in the lab, working on a refinement of a Russian patent by Vladimir Shukhov had come up with in 1891. It was a cracking process, but not as I knew it. Where it had been a continuous process as I knew it, Shukov’s patent was very much a batch process. Shukov had gotten a plant built in Russia soon after, but it had been failure and it seemed that Shukov had move on to other projects. Wilhelm had even made an attempt to recruit him for the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society as he was coming up with that many good ideas. Shukov however had turned the offer down and elected to stay in Russia and work from there.

Even with that, Wilhelm had managed to buy the rights to Shukhov’s cracking process about a year ago for 20,000 Marks. This came about after we talked after I finally got a table top version of the Haber Process working, and how it had reminded me of the Fischer-Tropsch Process. That had started a long talk about the whole petrochemical industry. Even through Wilhelm lacked the academic training in science and engineering that I had, he was still a sharp tool and understood things. I knew one of the ideas he had planned into the head of one of the engineers working for the CFG Society had seen a chainsaw powered by a ½ horsepower two stroke engine design and tested. Further it could be used by a single man. It would be hitting the markets soon and with what it could to and the cost of making it, it would sale like hotcakes like Wilhelm would say.

My work through was currently focused on a fluid catalytic cracking process. Shukhov method for cracking through it was workable, wasn’t the right starting point for this. So even though Wilhelm and I owned the patents now, I was basically starting from nothing. Currently I was trying my luck with Fuller’s Earth as the catalyst. It was showing promise but I wasn’t sure it was the right path still. Still through, it might be worth adding to my patent list than sell it off and let someone run with it. That was if I got it to work better than it currently was.

Given my work was with petrochemicals now, I always took a shower after my time in the labs. I had to saw the remodel we had given the palace was a wonderful thing. Central heat and hot running water were a beautiful thing during this time of year. The staff knew I enjoyed by time in the lab and they respected that time. That said I still had to go to various social events.

Tonight, Wilhelm and I were hosting a dinner with various royal houses of Germany about a possibly of an amendment to the constitution. Wilhelm in the dance he was playing with industrialist and labor was looking about forming a Ministry of Labor. This ministry would be like most ministries in Germany an Imperial level to work with the various states of Germany to make sure things worked smoothy and leaving the bulk of the power with the states of the empire. This meeting through was about floating the idea not make a hard push for it.

Once I was out of the shower and dress for the evening, I found Wilhelm in his personal library. He like every time I found him in here had his nose in some book. When I looked at the book through, I was surprised. “Cantonese People and Language?” I asked shocked. I figured that adventure in China would be enough to given him his fill of messing around with the Chinese for decades to come. As I had read about just how brutal that war in China was in the newspapers. I knew that what Wilhelm had learned upset him greatly. So, I figured this would had forced him to end his plans in China.

Wilhelm picked up the bookmark he used and placed in the book he was reading. “Yep, I need to understand China given what is coming there.” He answered once he looked to see the door was close. I had closed the door to have an enjoyable moment with him before this dinner. Now I could see I would get another look into his plotting mind.

“Why would you even want to mess with China again after that treaty.” Wilhelm knew I was not happy with the way the Chinese had been treated with that treaty. That treaty was worse than Versailles had been in the world we had come from. The reactions from the Chinese showed they were very unhappy with that treaty as well.

“Dona, do you think that ambassador killing himself was a stand-alone event? Or the massive riots threating to bring the Qing Empire down?” The ambassador in question was the former Chinese ambassador to Germany that Wilhelm had declared persona non grata in the run up to the war with China. Soon after that treaty was made public he had committed suicide so he wouldn’t have to bow before Wilhelm.

As for the riots, they were simply awful. Once the treaty that ended the war had become public the Chinese population snapped. Unlike the Boxers that led to the war, the Chinese people turned on the Qing Empire itself. The Guangxu Emperor was trying to right the ship, but the court in China was divided. Guangxu was trying to reform China akin to what happened in Japan under the Meiji Restoration. He however was facing a lot of resistance from the court and the people of China itself. From the reports I had seen there were even those claiming he had lost the mandate of heaven.

“In the world we came from, the Qing Empire limped along after the Boxer Rebellion till around 1910 or 1911 if memory serves. Here? After that treaty? I be surprised if they last long enough to make the first payments on the massive indemnity, we forced on them.”

“Then why did you go along with it?” I asked, again trying to understand why he did it.

“Two-fold honestly. First I couldn’t look as being to friendly to the Chinese by the rest of that alliance after everything that happened. Secondary I wanted to break China as a threat for good. This was the only way I could break China up into about a dozen different states. This will keep China from becoming a superpower in our new world. To achieve this goal, I need to know the various ethnic groups that I can influence and bring into my orbit. Currently I’m still forming a plan. Yet to plan I must have data. Hench the book.”

Wilhelm was speaking while he was getting up. He wasn’t the nimblest person since his knee injury but he still was a sharp looking man. Once he was close enough, he pulled me into a passion filled kissed that I returned. Once he pulled back from the kiss, “Baby, you have to keep updating the plan otherwise you become overtaken by events.”

Building Up Pt X

Haikou, German Colony of Hainan
Construction Site
March 3 1899

Arbeiter Wilhelm Hundertmark took a long pull of water from the canteen he had been issue. The men who had joined the Strafbataillon 81 were currently working building up a road network within Haikou to proper German standards. The former owners hadn’t put the time, money, nor effort into building up this area before it had become a German colony. As such they were having to build up the area basically from nothing.

In the two new northern colonies on the Shandong Peninsula there was unrest there. Here through, there was a full-on revolt against German rule of Hainan. Taking a page from their brothers on Formosa before them, this group had declared its independence and formed the Republic of Hainan. This revolt through was taking place in the interior of the island as the two major cities on the coast were firmly in German hands. Currently an infantry division was working there way through the island and forming the forces loyal to the so call Republic of Hainan further and further away from resupply. Off the coast the German Navy was patrolling to stop efforts to run supplies to these forces. So far, these efforts have been successful.

For Hundertmark as he put his canteen back on his belt, he was thinking about how beautiful this island was from what he had seen of it so far. Because of the rebellion he hadn’t been allowed far from Haikou so far. From what he heard from other arbeiters from other units he had dealt with that was the same for them. Still the land was beautiful from what little he had seen of it.

With the canteen back on his belt he when about to moving the wheel barrel he was using to move the Portland cement that was being used to help formed this road that was being built from the Governor’s Manson to the docks. Work within the Strafbataillons was tough but fair. Outside of Sunday, they work 12 hour shifts to build up the infrastructure projects that had been approved so far. Outside of the road work was on going using Strafbataillon labor to build a colonial governor’s office and the docks. There were also rumors that a railroad was being planned for the island.

On Sunday they had church services if that was what they wished to do. The officers did encourage it and it was looked down if you didn’t go. So most went. They however had not only the various Christian faiths cover they even had a rabbi for the few Jewish members here. Outside of the unofficial but official church services they had the rest of the day to themselves. Most would go down to the beach and relax there.

There however, was a market for meat within the various Strafbataillons and others forces on the island. This was because outside of locally caught seafood, they lived off the dried and salted meats that had been shipped to the island from Germany and the African colonies. Fresh meat was in demand and the former poachers such as Hundertmark had been offered a hunting license to catch local game to add to the meat intake of various units. A hunting license that was low cost, so they had all taken the offer up. It was turning into a good side business for Hundertmark. The Hainan Hair didn’t have much meat on it, but the skins sold well. Then there were those things that looked like a cross between a cat and racoon[1], that sold well because they had more meat on them than the hairs he trapped.

Hundertmark push those thoughts out of his head as he got back to work. It was still another three hours before quitting time.

[1] Masked palm civet

Building Up Pt X

Berlin
Leipziger Platz
April 5 1899

I was making my way through the headquarters of the Kaiserliche Marine as I was on my way to see my brother and the commander of my navy Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann. Still as I looked around as I walked the halls with my pair of bodyguards behind me, I couldn’t help notice the difference in the navy since I took over as Kaiser. The army officers that had one ran the navy had been removed and replaced by proper naval officers. That was one of the biggest changes, but by no means the only one.

The naval law that was past last year was still affecting the navy through and would be for some time to come. A replacement to this building was one of the things that had been funded under that law. It wasn’t we didn’t have the money to build it now because we did. The problem was enough workers to build it. Currently the economy was still running hot in Germany with unemployment hanging around 3% of the total population in the Empire proper itself. In the colonies equally manpower was the weak point in the system. As labor there was snapped up as soon as various natives decided to take the jobs we were offering them.

It had gotten to the point I had the colonial ministry set up schools here in Germany to start training natives who had the intelligence in skill trades as simply that was an even bigger short fall in the colonies than it was here. The first classes of those schools were being ran right now. Besides teaching these natives skill trades needed to expand the growth of the colonies along increase the economic output of the colonies, it also helped with the Germanization of the colonies. This was because those who were being brought to Germany could speak at least basic German already. It was my hope that that spending time in Germany would get them close to fluent levels along with learning how to read and write in German.

Germany itself was seeing an influx of immigration from the reforms I had helped push through had seen a mix of outcomes. Currently Germany was soaking up skill machinist from Scandinavia and strangely enough Austria-Hungary. There was also a trickle of Germans returning from the Americas as the economy here was booming along with the increase freedoms that were forming in Germany. Granted those who were Pacifist in their believes weren’t coming back. At least not yet anyways. This even through I had push through the change to the conscription laws where they could serve as medics or in supply formations instead of being sent to the infantry at the cost of an extra year of service.

The tricky problem through was the influx of Poles coming from the Congress of Poland to seek work in Posen or elsewhere in the empire. The unskilled labor was generally staying in Posen and working on farms. The skill labor and miners through was ending up somewhere in the Ruhr generally. All though some where ending up in Silesia. Part of me wanted to spin Posen off from Prussia and form it as a Grand Duchy of the empire. But I knew that would create problems to no end. Even more so after I created a Polish nation in the aftermath of the war I knew was coming between my empire in the Russian Empire. So it left me in a hard place trying to figure how to move that forward and get it where the Poles in Posen could accept the title of Polish-Prussian and not seek out to be simply Polish.

Even with the labor saving tech that had been coming to the market over the last few years hadn’t been enough to put a dent into the labor shortage. This was primary because one a person had lost a job to a machine it was too easy to end up with another job somewhere else. This was because jobs were always being created. This was also having the effect of workers being paid more as companies needed the labor. That was a blessing and a curse all in the same breath. It was a blessing as it was letting pressure off the labor movement as people were getting paid better; indeed, a middle class was forming here in Germany right now because of it. The curse through was inflation. So far, the latter hadn’t been as bad as I feared, but it was still something I was keeping an eye on.

As for why I was in the headquarters of my navy, was to review the ships that would be laid down this year. This year a pair of battleships, six light cruisers, and a dozen gunboats were called for this year. The gunboats were being tailored to operate in our new Chinese colonies. They had scaled models of each and I wanted to ask a few questions and maybe put an idea or two out there that would lead to fruit later. Further I was here to inform von Hollmann that my brother would be a semi-regent once I started my world tour next month. This was because I couldn’t do the day-to-day things I needed to do while on this trip that would last for four months.

Once I was in the office this was being done in, I saw the models. I had to say they were impressive looking. At that point after the normal greetings the meeting started. It started with the new battleships. I knew from talking with them that it wasn’t time to go to a dreadnought layout of all big guns. The rangefinders and fire control systems just were there yet for such a design. The rate of fire of the 30.5 cm guns have improved but the rangefinders and fire control systems to reach out and really touch someone just wasn’t there yet. I did note through the battleships were mounting a new quick firing 17 cm gun instead of the 15 cm quick firing gun of years past.

My first question on the light cruisers were they simply repeats of the Gazelles just with a better bow. They then informed me the new cruisers were 500 tons heavier in displacement. Further they would have better seakeeping and other soft stats as it were. The armament was still largely the same even if the number of shells per gun had increased. I did ask about using one of the ships to test steam turbines on warships, but I was informed that would likely have to wait till the next class before they were ready.

For the gunboats or aviso as they were being called, I really didn’t have many questions. My personal thought was they looked something like a four-piper destroyer of WWI USN. They were armed with the same 10.5 cm guns of the light cruisers but just far fewer of them. Further they were slower being only capable of 12 knots. Then again, these things were designed to patrol the various China stations and hunt down the odd Chinese pirate not chase down hostile warships. Said pirates were not known for their speed, so to save a couple of marks these ships weren’t as fast they could had been.

World Tour Pt I

New York City
New York City Hall
May 18 1899

“It’s an honor to meet you herr mayor.” I said to the Mayor of New York City in English. I briefly wondered if the lack of the Spanish American War had caused Theodore Roosevelt to end up as the mayor of NYC instead of being elected governor of the state. This was one of those butterflies I didn’t expect or planned for. That said through, I wasn’t passing up on the chance to meet one of my childhood heroes.

“The honor is all mine your majesty.” Roosevelt replied.

New York City was the first stop on my first American leg of my world tour. I had already made a speech on the docks when my ship that was carrying me had docked. Along with a short speech when I had reached city hall. Using my own historical training as well as me keeping up with the various events around the world I knew from the cheers that my speech there had been well received.

I knew Roosevelt had been the assistant secretary of the navy under President McKinley till he had decided to run against the Tammany Hall back candidate for mayor of the newly enlarged New York City in the history that I was helping to create. I guess he didn’t have the fame needed to go for the governorship, but had the name needed to take on Tammany Hall and win. Even through Boss Tweet wasn’t running the show anymore, defeating Tammany Hall was no small feat.

One think through I liked about this trip through was it was allowing me a chance to regroup and review my plans. Unlike when I was in Europe where I had only was not only having to plan for the future, I was also having to run an empire along with keeping abreast of all of the latest advances in tech and changes in foreign affairs. Here I simply could have more time to think about things and seriously rework my plans since the first time since 1888 which was taking in about a decade worth of events. I still believed I could achieve a true multi-continental empire that would stand the test of time. It would be challenging, but it could be done. Failing that, a German Commonwealth without question. I however was aiming high and going from there.

At the moment through I was simply enjoying the chance to meet one of my childhood heroes as we talked about a host of topics.

Colonial Build Up Pt III

Walfischbucht, German South-West Africa
Docks
June 30 1899

Martin Padovaner, formally of the Imperial-Royal Landwehr was standing on the docks of Walfischbucht as he breathed in the clean crisp air. The past 18 months had been one hell of a journey for Martin and this was the start of something better. On his return from fighting in China, the Landwehr charged him for the Gasser revolver that he had discarded in the heat of the battle after it had failed him for a working weapon. If the price point was anything to go by, Martin had paid twice over for that piece of scheisse that the Gasser revolver was. Then his performance review was performed by an antisemitic officer of the Landwehr. With the way that performed review when he knew his career in the Landwehr would be effectively over. No promotion board would touch him with those two things on his service jacket.

Soon after returning from China he when home to Czernowitz and spoke with his family while on leave from the Landwehr. Even through he wasn’t married he still wanted to speak with his parents as this would affect them as well. Then again this was a conversation that a lot of Jewish families were having within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With anti-Semitism growing with the Empire and just across the border in a different empire, efforts were being taken to stamp it out was causing Jewish families to migrate to Germany. Plus, wages were increasing in Germany was also giving people reason to move there.

Following those talks with his family he reached out to some of the contacts he had made with the German Army in China. He had decided to join the German Army if at all possible. His contacts understood this, but for legal reasons he couldn’t be given a commission into the German Army proper. They however, informed that he could be commission in the Schutztruppe. They also told him about a little used program that would pay for his family, up to four people to move to the colony he was stationed in. This was since officers could claim homesteads after a number of years in service within the Schutztruppe, and it was felt that officers who had family in the colonies would be more likely to plant his roots there. After these meetings he talked to his parents yet again. After that he decided he would take up that offer to be commissioned into the Schutztruppe.

Soon after he resigned his commissioned within the Landwehr. With his background in the Landwehr, he was commissioned as an Oberleutnant in the artillery branch. He was assigned to the 3rd Schutztruppe Regiment’s Artillery Battalion after performing a work up and short training section. He knew from the work ups he did prior to being shipped to Walvis Bay that the equipment would be older than what he had been using in the Landwehr. He also had his own work to do. He knew the Germans were putting a lot on being psychically fit, that included the officers. He had barely passed those tests, which would had delayed his deployment to his operational unit or possibly forced him to resign his commission in the Schutztruppe. He would have to improve his running speed if he didn’t want to cut things so close.

Like in other German colonies you could see money was being put into it. The docks were being expanded. Off in the distance you could see scaffolding that was around the new colonial governor’s mansion. As he walked down the city, he could see other signs of progress in the city. A train station was being built up, which was designed to bring the copper and other ores from Bergbaustadt[1]. It would still be a while before Berghaustadt would be linked up with Walfischbucht through.

Once at the headquarters of the 3rd Schutztruppe Regiment, Oberleutnant Martin Padovaner reported for his duty as well as his chance for a better life.

[1] OTL Tsumeb, If Google Translate is worth a damn, the ITL City Name should be Mining City

World Tour Pt II

SMY Hohenzollern
Indian Ocean, Near Dar es Salaam
September 1 1899

I stood on the stern of the yacht as I watched the sun set. This had been one hell a trip so far. In America I had visited a number of cities and spent nearly a month there, and I would be returning to the West coast for at least a few more days there during my second leg. During the first leg of the American part of this trip I had made it as far inland as St. Louis. Everywhere I when I spoke to the crowds that had come to see me as I was the first royal most of them had ever seen. From the press and crowds, I knew my message had been well received by many of them.

The hard part of the trip through had been the American south. I had been born in the south in my first life and knew of the dark history that was there. But seeing it in real life had been harder to take in than I had expected. It also gave me an idea to boost the population of Germany and the colonies. I was still fleshing that idea out at the moment through. It was a play on the Muhammad Ali quote, “No Viet Cong ever called me Nigger.” If it worked, I would drain the US of a number of talented and skilled African Americans for a better life in my colonies.

Even harder was the visit to my home town in my first life. The history of Tampa was confusing even for a native of the area. Yet it did allow me to close that chapter of my past, which I needed to close. It was even harder to come with a reason why I wanted to visit Tampa, but given how many good cigars were coming out of Tampa gave me just enough cover to do visit the city. Even if that was more Ybor than Tampa proper.

With the first US leg behind me I skipped the Caribbean altogether. Nothing really there for me or anything I wanted. So why make a stop there? I then travelled on to Togoland, Kamerun, the Kongo, and German South West Africa visiting the colonies and making what I hope was the first of many visits to them. I had just finished the visit to German East Africa and now I was moving on to Batavia for that leg of the trip. I currently was spending a week or more in each of the colonies I was visiting.

The big topic within the Kongo and East Africa was when would the Trans-African Railway finish. Like the Cape to Cairo Railway the British were building, there was an ongoing effort to link Dar es Salaam and Humboldt. The latter was what Léopoldville had been renamed to after I took over the Kongo from the Leopold. I had picked that name as he was most famous German explorer I could think of and there seem to be a fair bit of support of it. Yet the idea of a railway linking the Atlantic and Indian Oceans seem to be taking off. Currently I didn’t think that railway would finish till 1906 at the earliest. Simply put a lot of work needed to be done, and like in Germany there was an ongoing effort to vacuum up workers.

Currently the colonies were in an odd place. I had pushed for massive investments into the colonies ranging from public sanitation to schools. Schools were a big one and was one of the things I was hoping would pay off in the future. I had based my plans to fold the colonies into Germany proper off the Japanese system that they had used in Formosa. Had it not been for the Pacific War, Formosa most likely would had been viewed as one of the Home Islands by the 60s. Still a lot could go wrong but I was going to try.

The schools themselves were free to the natives as well as European immigrates to the colonies. It was hoped that by offering the natives free school along with well paying jobs would help ease them into thinking themselves as Germans in a few generations. It wouldn’t be the same as say being in Berlin, Hannover, or even Munich but if it worked it would fold the colonies into Germany in time. What I was aiming for was them to act German enough to be acceptable to Germany along with them thinking they were better as part of Germany than their own nation.

At the moment I knew there was another colonial bill being debated in Frankfurt. This one if pass would grant colonial citizenship to enlisted veterans of the Schutztruppe who honorably served. It would also create a path to grant natives colonial citizenship if they could pass a test. This would give them a number of rights, including the right to vote in elections. Granted outside the local municipal elections, it would be an advisory position to the governors and possibly even a non-voting delegate to the Reichstag. Further it was also looking at the possibly of creating a small officer corp from natives of the colonies itself within the Schutztruppe. It would be till next year before I ever see that bill through. It would also take even longer for it to have effects.

In the colonies the reaction to my visit had gone as well as could be expected. Both the natives and Europeans who had migrated to the colony took well to my speeches. Plus the visits I when seem to go well. Now it was off to some of the Asian holdings than Japan. I heard someone coming up behind me, so I turned around to see who it was.

“Hello beautiful.” I said to my wife. She had put on a bit of weight since the first time I had seen her. However, she was still as beautiful as she was the first time I saw her.

“Hello yourself.” She said as she walked up next to me.

Once she was standing next to me, she leaned over and put her head on my shoulder. “Is it really safe for us to visit Hainan?” She asked me.

“The last of the Hainanian Republican forces have been defeated a month ago. Plus, there is going to be a full company of Marines in Haikou guarding us. Even if the majority of them will be in plain clothes. Plus there will be an infantry regiment on standby shall it be needed.” We weren’t going inland; I didn’t feel like tempting the almighty like that. But I believe a visit to Haikou would work in the long run. And unlike the other colonies Hainan was only a day visit with plans to travel on to Japan after that.

Loose Ends

Ipswich
Church Street House
October 15 1899

Otto von Helldorff was one of many members of the DkP who hadn’t been directly linked to the 19 Days but had been forced out of the public life in the aftermath. He might as well had been ostracized for what he was put through socially before he left Germany. Many of the Junkers Class had either been arrested and were now serving lengthy prison terms or now dead as they decided to fall on their swords in the aftermath. A few like von Helldorff who wasn’t directly linked and didn’t take their lives had been disavowed just by everyone making staying in Prussia just about impossible. So, he had moved to Ipswich as Russia was worse, Austria-Hungary had refused him, and France was unacceptable.

For a man such as von Helldorff this was next to intolerable. He was born into the ruling class and to be pushed to the side for his support to bring Prussia back to its true position was too much to bear. He and a few others had slowly been moving to rid Prussia of Wilhelm the Second, and hopefully influence the son so they could restore Prussia to its rightful place. The closest they had come to achieving this goal was in July 1897 when they had used the Sicilian Mafia to get someone to kill Wilhelm. Yet that had failed.

Other attempts had been in the works, but none of them had come as close as that attempt. They also knew that time was running out. German through still a conservative nation but it was lurching to the left. The child who would be Wilhelm the Third was rapidly nearing the age he could rule without a regent. If he could be Kaiser without having a regent any chance of them ever regaining their influence would be gone.

He had other things to do here, but he really hadn’t melted into the high-end circles of Ipswich like a man of his wealth would be expected to. Many found von Helldorff to be cold and fridge. Even his personal staff didn’t like them. Many had informed friends don’t work for him unless you have no other choice in the matter. He was always suffering personal staff turn over as they would find work elsewhere for someone who wasn’t as abusive as he was.

In the early hours through of the 15th through, none of that would matter. The coal furnace that was being used to heat his house would explode. Only a select few would ever know the truth of what really caused that explosion.

Building Up Pt XI, Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Science Building of Campus (Redacted)
April 13 2020

“Kaiser Wilhelm’s world tour of 1899 was a moment that shifted many things both domestically and internationally.” Zuzanna said to her class. Projecting on the wall was now a famous picture of Kaiser Wilhelm meeting Emperor Meiji for the first time. Even through this photo had been taken, this had been a moment that had been covered countless times in painting. It also had been covered in television shows and a few movies. Including most famously in the 1979 epic The Dawn a multiple Lola Award winning movie in 1980.

Her students were taking notes as she kept pushing forward with her outline of her lesson plan for today. “Even prior to the tour taking by Wilhelm in 1899, Germany had started to see an increase in immigration to itself and its colonies. This tour by Wilhelm started something new through. For many decades this tour also marked the start of the Return Movement.” The Return Movement formed in many areas in the Americas, notably in Brazil and the United States where German immigration had been strong. The idea was to return back to Germany for an even better life than the bill of goods they had been sold on for moving to the New World. “Now through, this is shifting to the public start of the Return Movement as more records from various archives are brought to the light.”

Zuzanna had seen first hand some of these reports coming out from the archives. Kaiser Wilhelm II was very concerned with population size of the empire along with how to increase the size of the population. This was during her research phase of her Ph.D. studies as she worked to the right being called a doctor.

“It also opened Germany and her colonies up for migration to from none German groups. At first through this was a slow process. Yet as the colonies grew and become economically buyable along with steady low unemployment rate in Germany itself, caused immigration to both Germany and the colonies to grow at an increasing rate.”

Before Zuzanna could get to the last paragraph of her lesson plan the bell rung saying the class was over. “To finish today’s lesson, its covered-on pages 401-404 in your textbooks. Also, a friendly reminder, your midterm reports are due at the end of the week.”

1899 Year in Review

Domestic

None

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

None

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Improving

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

Stable

Russia

Ice Cold

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

10 cm Feldhaubitze 99

Mass: 1,290 kg
Barrel Length: L/15
Crew: 6
Recoil: Hydraulic
Breech: Horizontal sliding-block
Carriage: Split Trail
Rate of Fire: 4 RPM (Sustained), 12 PRM (Brust)

Zähringen Class Battleship

15,000 tons Standard Load, 4 x 30.5 L/40s in Twins, 17 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 18 kts, well armored/KCA,

Zähringen
Schwaben

Berlin Class Light Cruiser

3,200 tons Standard Load, 10 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 22 knots

6 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

Reforms Pt VII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
January 6 1900

Currently I was keeping an eye on the mining strikes that were taking hold in Belgium, Italy, France and Austria-Hungary right now. This was because I didn’t want these strikes to spread to my Empire. Riots were starting up in mining towns as owners were trying to break these strikes. These efforts were being led by various police forces. I was wonder where the Pinkertons were as breaking strikes was right up their line of work in this time frame. The main focus of these strikes were two-fold. First, they wanted better working conditions. The second was they also wanted an eight-hour work day. Both of these aims were understandable to me.

At the moment, I was the only major industrial power on the European continent not suffering from these strikes. I didn’t count Russia as an industrial power through for a host of reasons. Although, everyone in Russia were more afraid of the Okhrana than the crappy work conditions in their mines. Further no one wanted to count trees in Siberia which was would happen if Okhrana got their hands on you with any links you were a trade unionist. As far as I could tell Russia was keeping pace to where they were industrializing from the history I knew. Or at least close to it. I couldn’t be sure as I didn’t have hard numbers to work with. Sometimes I would kill for a tablet with internet just to double check myself.

There were reasons I currently had labor peace. My actions in the last major strikes had earned me a lot of good will with everyday German miners. Further I had actively worked to defuse long standing tensions between labor and owners. Sometimes that had been a bumpy ride, but it was paying off right now. Europe was suffering a bad cold snap. Here in Berlin the day started off around, -18 degrees Celsius with a light layer of snow on the ground. It was the kind of cold that you felt in your joints and bones. I know I did when I did my morning walk. We needed coal moving from the mines to people’s homes and powerplants to keep people from dying. It was that leverage unions were trying to use to get their demands met.

Another reason for the labor peace was because in Frankfurt there was an ongoing debate about an amendment to the constitution of the empire. There was also an ongoing debate about a new labor law. The constitutional amendment would create a new ministry, this would be the ministry of labor. Given how the constitution was set up, to form a new ministry it had to be done via amendment. Whereas I could appoint minister without portfolio anytime I wanted so long as that minister without portfolio didn’t last over two years.

Currently I had a single minister without portfolio who I had named to the position on my return from my trip across the world. This man was Carl Legien. It did cause something of a stir in domestic circles that I would name an SPD member to such a position, but I was of the position better to have him inside the tent pissing out than out the tent pissing in. Well as LBJ would say anyways. So far it was working as it was keeping labor peace. Once the amendment would pass, I would name him to that ministry and help organize labor to keep it and big business working together.

One of the goals I had to help Germany take its place as a superpower in this world was to form a middle class. It would help stabilize domestic politics. Further it would grow the economy as people would be sending money on more than the things they needed to live. As such I needed to control how unions worked to make it workable long term. I saw in my first life how this could go horribly wrong and wanted to keep that from happening.

On the new labor act side of the equation, this would bring about a ten-hour working day to the masses. I knew here I was taking something of a gamble. Given unemployment was hovering around 3% from the numbers I was seeing, reducing the number of working hours was a risk. However, I was betting that workers who could earn time and a half pay for any hours worked over the standard 50 hours they work per week would jump at that chance. It would also get more money into the real economy which was always something that was a good thing.

Along with this, a push was being made for a minimum wage to go along with a reducded work load for workers. This was a sticking point in the talks as the SPD were pushing for a higher minimum with FKP pushing for a small minimum. I wasn’t at the moment getting in the middle of this. If they hit an impasse I would set down to try and get a deal done. At the moment they were still talking so I was letting it run its course. I had a feeling the FKP would get what it wanted through as Germany was still a fairly conservative nation even with the push to the left I have given it. I wasn’t going to push it too far too fast as I seen what happens then. Frankly I wanted to keep myself in the position to change the future for the better than being a figure head. The main thing I had going for me through was the DkP was more or less slowly dying at this point.

For the DkP they really had drunk from a goblet of hemlock as too many of them had directly supported Bismarck and his failed putsch. Those that hadn’t been directly link had been forced into retirement or in some cases exile. The latter being more self-imposed exile. They just had this habit of dying through. One from a coal fired boiler explosion, another of a heart attack, and so on. It was the slow death of DkP that was allowing me to reform German clay into something more so when it would be fired it would survive the test that would come.

Wet Work Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 15 1900

I walked into the small office and shut the door behind me. Korvettenkapitän Gustav Steinhauer was waiting for me. “Your majesty.” He said to me as he bowed.

Q Branch was my small wet work department that reported only to me. I controlled the funding and had to approve operations before they were carried out. Only a small handful within the government outside of Q Branch knew it was there, fewer still knew what its mission was. I had plans to grow them in about 10 to 20 years but right now their small size was all they needed. That growth was depended on a host of factors.

“How goes the operation?” This was my monthly briefing on the on-going operation that had formed in the aftermath of the failed assassinated attempt against me. It had taken time but after various methods we had learned who had paid off the Sicilian mafia in England to performed the failed assassination attempt. It was members of the DkP who had been disgraced and forced into retirement from private life as there was a lack of evidence to throw them into prison or send them to join the folks that were in exile on Pitcairn.

Those on Pitcairn hadn’t faired well. Three of them had died from over drinking. A pair had drowned in the ocean, with at least one of them looking like it was suicide. A few had died from old age or natural causes. The others were having issues as the men and women on Pitcairn had given them the cold shoulder. There was already a social hierarchy on Pitcairn, and the royals and other exiles came in thinking they were top dogs. That didn’t go over well with those on Pitcairn. As such I expected a number of those who had died from drink or outright suicide to increase in the coming years.

“The operation is performing as planned sir. So far none of the agents have been caught by our own police forces or those overseas as we carry out these actions.” Given this operation had been running for over a year now this was good news.

“How many targets are left?”

“Only one sir.”

“Who?”

“Otto von Manteuffel.”

I thought about it for a moment. A total of nine people in under a year. It was time for a break, even if I had used different ways to kill each of them. “Don’t move on Manteuffel for at least six months.” I wanted to give this some space so in the future someone wouldn’t go in some message board site saying I had ordered the assassination of these fuckers. Then again that ship had likely already sailed or would sail if I was forced to used them as I plan to if that came to pass.

Tech Growth Part XI

Near Rostock
Lilienthal’s Workshop
March 28 1900

I was inspecting the glider that Otto Lilienthal was currently testing. It was a far cry from earlier designs built by Lilienthal that I have seen in earlier years. Around the time he made the move to using testing grounds here near Rostock, he had given up trying to fly like birds. Instead, the glider before me I could call a flying machine even if in 2018 it would had been a death trap. At the current moment this was the cutting edge in technology. That in of itself was a statement of how far technology came in just under 120 years.

As I looked around, I couldn’t help but be impressive. I had already seen this glider fly earlier today. Lilienthal was able to keep it in the air for just over three minutes and got as high as 20 meters in a different flight. It was honestly impressive that one could do that with this glider. After those earlier test flights, I had lunch with Otto as we spoke about his works and where he was going.

This conversation was illumining. Since he was linked to the CFG Society he had put in the paperwork late last year to build a power flying machine, based off the glider I was currently looking at. This was to receive the funding needed to build the custom straight four 15 horsepower engine that he was planning to use. Plus, there would be some money for to build the airframe itself, but majority of it was going into the engine. Instead of using a steel engine block, he was using aluminum for that role which was why it was a custom design and causing a fair bit of money to build. Yet I knew that money had been improved and the engine was being built at the moment. Still, it wouldn’t be till next year before everything was ready for test flights.

Unlike the Wright Brothers and their wing warping ideas, Otto was going for a more standard control surfaces. For that I was thankful for. Plus given how the CFG Society was set up, it would prime Germany to take an early lead in aircraft tech that I planned to keep. Lilienthal for his work would also claim a nice prize of 50,000 marks which the CGF Society had put up to who every proved they had the first heavier than air flying machine that was controllable. Given patent royalties weren’t likely the CFG would pay him a pension for Otto.

Germany through was fast becoming the leader in aviation technology of the world. On the shores of Lake Constance Graf Zeppelin had built a pair of workable Zeppelins. Further he had orders for five more. The two he currently had there were being used as test beds for improvements to future models that were on the drawing boards at the moment. As for who ordered them, the army had ordered two with the navy ordering one. The Royal Navy had also ordered a pair of them. The latter order had come about after showing them off to Prince George, who was currently a rising star within the Royal Navy when he had travelled here for vacation earlier this month.

Currently the British Royal Family outside of one fat ass was coming to Germany for vacations. The said fat ass had suffered an assassination attempt in France for the troubles last year. This was largely because the Boer War was deeply unpopular here in Europe. Even in Germany there wasn’t much support for it, but it wasn’t the openly hostile views that were common in the Low Countries and France. Because of that they felt safer coming to Germany for a vacation than elsewhere. Well save for the fat ass.

Money Makes the World Go Round Pt II

Potsdam
Sanssouci
May 7 1900

I was sitting in the room that was looking out on to the gardens and long staircase of this palace enjoying lunch at the moment. My lunch had been made by someone I had brought back from my world trip last year. On my travels I had run across who most people believed to be the father of Kansas City barbecue in the world I came from; that being Henry Perry. That meal was one of the best barbecue dishes I have ever ate, in this life or the one I lived before. So, I found the cook and offered him a job on my personal staff, not expecting it to be Henry Perry. Given the pay increase that came from being on my personal staff over the riverboat cook job he had, he took the job.

Hiring Perry did cause a stir in the southern US. I’m not sure how the African-Americans were taking the news as I really didn’t have a good way to get a feel for how they felt about it. White Southerns through were in shock that I, someone who was born into the purple would hire a nergo to work on my personal staff. But as I ate this smoked boar sandwich with a side of Fritten and a cold coke, I was thinking they were freaking stupid for allowing this man to escape to Europe as his food was some of the best you can get.

In Europe people had a different take than those in the southern parts of the US did on this hire. Having native workers on one’s personal staff was seen as more than acceptable. Frankly good food trumped most racism I had ever ran into. Even more so when I had a get together with the British over an attempt to form a true alliance with them and had Perry set up lunch for that meeting. The British at that meeting loved the food that Perry had made. Currently through I was limiting myself to eating Perry’s cooking to once a week through for health reasons. At the moment through I was enjoying his cooking.

As I was eating, I was thinking about the current book I was writing. I have written a small number of peer review papers since being Kaiser, but this was the first honest to god book I was writing. The topic I was writing about was economics, the thing I had been studying to achieve a master’s degree in when I had “died” in 2018. I wasn’t sure what really happened on that day. Still economics was a field I knew well and wanted to help guide it to make sure things didn’t go some ways that it did in the history I knew.

I was a firm believer in Keynesian economics over the ideas of Milton Friedman and Adam Smith. Smith’s ideas were dated even now, and the whole idea of Invisible Hand that I heard so much was bunk nowadays. In Smith’s day it made some sense, but this was at a time when artisan shops were the norm. Now with factories that could mass produce things it just didn’t hold up. Where a single factory could in a month out produce every artisan shop from a century ago, it just meant the Invisible Hand was beyond broken and not coming back.

Friedman was trickier to debunk because he had correctly predicted the stagflation of the 1970s. Plus given he had the ears of people like Reagan and Thatcher, meant that police ran well but it had its own flaws and I had seen those first hand. That was the challenge I was currently working on in my head, how to stop stagflation before it happened and allow Keynesian economics maintain their position as the leading economic model in at least Germany and the planned economic block I was planning to build in a post-war world where Germany was a superpower.

I didn’t want to be the person to get to that point, and have someone ask me what do we do now. Then I go I don’t know I didn’t expect to get this far. Honestly that was one of the things I really liked about this job. Dealing with complex short-term problems along with long term planning that needed to be updated regularly with new data. This book through would be another salvo in setting German economic policy in stone with what I was doing already. I had already started Germany down the path of Keynesian economics, this book would take it further down that road.

Military Dilemma Pt I

Stettin
Ducal Castle
June 11 1900

I was currently reading of the Summer Olympics that were taking place in St. Louis this. I had given some thought about trying my hand at one of the rifle shooting contests but I had decided against it. Germany couldn’t afford me to take off again for another massive overseas visit, and I had decided against it. Plus, I decided it was time to pass that torch off to someone else for leading the German Olympic team into the Olympics. Even with the fact this was across the pond, Germany was proving it was going to be a beast when it came to Athletics in the Olympics. We have already been awarded 39 of the possible 90 medals that could be awarded. And at the moment there were still 15 medals outstanding.

Yet I put the newspaper down and got back to why I was in Stettin today as I looked at the clock. I was touring the fortress systems of the Baltic Coast after the cluster the Russians sparked last month. I knew this was coming as soon as the reports had reached me that the Russians weren’t evacuating their positions in Manchuria as per the Treaty of Vladivostok called for last year. And sure enough, they double down on it and formally annexed Manchuria in late May. This had set off the Manchurian Crisis. The crisis was already cooling off, but it was leaving a mark. The British were very close to inking an alliance treaty with me. Japan was also getting damn close to inking their own alliance treaty with me.

The question I was now facing was how dealing with the French who were making their own moves in Morocco. Frankly I didn’t give a damn about Morocco, but the British did. This was helping me get the British into an alliance, but it also put forward a problem. I didn’t want to fight a two front war if I could help it. With Russia have endless kilometer on kilometer to advance on, that would take ages to advance through with current armies to force them to the peace table. France through far smaller, breaking into it via the borders we had would be a total bloodbath, and that was not a cost I was willing to pay.

Even with the French not matching me machine gun for machine gun mostly because they couldn’t afford to, they were building a lot of them at the moment. Given the shit terrain of the Franco-German frontier it would be a brutal bloody effort to break through there. Every wargame we had ran proved that. If anything, I thought those wargames were underselling how bloody such a direct invasion would be. The only way to get around that was to go through Belgium, yet I couldn’t because of the Treaty of London.

Granted the Belgians hadn’t helped their case so far for not being invaded. They pissed off both me and the British with the way they handle the for forcing Leopold to sell the Kongo to me. They further had pissed off the British when the kid who had tried to off the fat ass last year was let off because he was a kid. He was honestly a kid, being all of 14 years of age. Because of that they acquitted the kid and that hadn’t gone over well in England.

Still in the roundabout way it had come up the British were dead set against me outflanking the French via Belgium. So, the problem that I was facing was this. Either deal with the endless countryside of Russia while allowing the French to bleed themselves white on my defensives in Elsaß-Lothringen. Or find someway for the British to support me going through Belgium and recreate the Schlieffen Plan with British help.

Currently in the event of war the current plans called for three armies holding the Franco-German frontiers. Four armies would be ready to perform a sweeping offensive into the Congress of Poland. The eight army would be held in reserve in central Germany as a rapid reserve in the early day of the war as reserve formations were mobilize. This army would be able to deploy either to the east or west depended on where it would be needed. Newly formed armies that would be training would take the place of this reserve army once it was deployed to the front with those newly formed armies being deployed as needed.

The question I had would this work as frankly unlike many in my military I didn’t trust the Austro-Hungarian Armies as far as I could throw them. The same when for the Italians. Each for different reasons. An Italian Army was to come north and help, but I honestly thought the Italians would shit the bed. Further the logistics of such a move were a nightmare, even more so where to send such an army. I was hoping to use this whenever this happen as a reason to form something akin to NATO standardization agreement to ease logistical issues in a second war.

Austria-Hungary through? If they got hit with the same six armies they had been in my history I knew they would fall apart. Too many compromises were holding that nation together, and now the Hungarians were actively holding their military back. While my army was pushing ahead with new tech the Austro-Hungarians were being forced to adopt Autofrettage barrel artillery as the Hungarians weren’t willing to pay for steel barrel artillery. It was getting to be a freaking joke at this point.

Building Up Pt XII

Dresden
Near Dresdner Schloss
July 27 1900

I looked out from my carriage as I was being driven to meet with King Albert and Crown Prince George. The two of them were military officers by training and were respected ones. They both had fought against Prussia in the Seven Weeks War. They then fought with Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War. Both of them had served with honor and earned their reputations as soldiers in both wars. When they found out I was the driving force the switch within the German Army to semi-auto firearms they asked to if I could keep them informed; and I had agreed. So, I going to meet them and was bring what was about to be the field trials versions of the new pistols that John Browning had designed.

As I looked out from the carriage window through, I could see the signs of the changes in Germany. Germany was rapidly urbanizing as those from rural areas came to the cities in the search of jobs. Dresden itself was seeing a number of new factories opening up. Not all of them made it through. Still jobs were easy to find here like in other major cities of the Empire. The challenge for me was to keep from suffering the pit falls of urbanization that happened in the world I had come from.

That was easier said than done through as I wasn’t a civil engineer. Maybe if I had been Drachinifel from YouTube instead of myself, but I wasn’t. I knew well enough to keep the lead out of drinking water pipes and had even got that passed into law a few years ago. That law had just been modified again this year to include sewage waste building help from the empire for the various states of the empire. It was hoped between the two of them it would totally stamp out water borne illnesses in Germany. At the moment through it was becoming increasingly common to have running water in one’s house through in the cities. Rural areas were dragging behind but I was hoping by the end of the decade it would be more common than not there as well.

What however was surprising me through with the growth of the urban areas within Germany was the lack of skyscrapers as I knew them. Sure, some tall buildings were being built, but as far as I knew nothing over 100 meters was currently being built or even planned. Then again as I thought about it nothing was even coming close to 120 meters in height that would be a proper building. Sure, there were smokestacks and some other industrial buildings that cracked the 120-meter mark, but nothing for humans to live in. What were being built even in Tampa which wasn’t known for skyscrapers would be known as high rises at best. I wonder why that was briefly.

Once we were at the castle through, I pushed that thought outside of my head and got back to the task at hand. Given the challenges that I had walking up and down stairs at this point by carriage had been modified to help make it easier getting in and out of. Still given the limits of my knee it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Once I was down it was easier to move. Following behind me was one of my new aide-de-camps Leutnant Wilhelm Ritter Leeb.

Leeb was a Catholic and from Bavaria. I was trying to build bridges between the rest of Germany and Bavaria to further fold Bavaria into Germany. Further I was trying to get various faith groups within my empire to bury their hatchets. That was easier said than done. Even with all that said Leeb was a promising young artillery officer who had nothing but glowing reviews of the new artillery that was entering the army. He was the one carrying the two pistols I had brought here today.

One thing the war in China had thought us was even our generals needed a sidearm. This however was also to be a badge of rank, as such it wasn’t to be a full size pistol as other officers would carry. Given I was working with John Browning and honestly liked 7.65 mm Browning, that’s was what these pistols would be chambered in. The second reason for 7.65 mm Browning instead of the more powerful 9 mm Browning was to keep it and the main pistol round from being confused. 9 Browning and 9 Para were very close to being the same size and where a pistol chambered in 9 Para would safely fire a 9 Browning but might not cycle it, a 9 Browning pistol would most likely fail, and possibly send the slide into the head of the shooter. That would be a problem which I didn’t want. It was why 7.65 Browning was set to become the ammo of general officers.

Of all of the full-size pistols that had been sent to China for field trials had been rejected for various reasons. The best two of the bunch had been the Luger and the Browning design. The Luger on cost grounds. The Browning design was because it was too fragile. John Browning knew of the weakness of his design and was already working on fixing those. Based on my inputs I think he came up close to something between a Hi-Power and Radom. I’m wasn’t sure which it was closer to. But I liked it the few times I had tested it. It felt good in the hand and was a joy to shoot.

Currently DWM was working on reducing the cost of the Luger. This was because many of the officers and even the few NCOs who had been issued it had glowing reviews of it. Even I would admit the Luger was a good pistol. Yet at the price point the currently along with machine time was such I didn’t want to go down that root and was really keeping the army from going there. The new Browning design was going into field trials and I was hoping it would do well enough there to get adopted.

So, I was taking these pistols to the King and Crown Prince of Saxony for their thoughts. Also, I was going to enjoy a day of target shooting. That was always a good day.

Family Problems 1900

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 4 1900

As I waited, I really wish Wilhelm was here. Then again, he was in Vienna trying to smooth things over with Franz Joseph to stop this. Lizi shouldn’t have to be forced away from us now. She had just turned from 17 two days ago. We were less than a year away from where this would be a possibly. Currently she was in her junior year Friedrich Wilhelm University where she was studying law. From the professors that we have spoken to she was a bright student and would go far with her law degree. Now through that was all at risk of being taken away out of spite.

The woman I was waiting for entered the room after being announced by the staff. It was Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. She was due to be married in a few weeks to a Hungarian of lesser rank than her own. That was what sparked this whole thing. For reasons I couldn’t understand Stéphanie wanted Lizi at her wedding, but neither Wilhelm or I. That was surprising giving she hadn’t seen Lizi since the aftermath of the whole Mayerling Incident. The fact neither Wilhelm or I were to be there gave us a reason to worry.

Lizi honestly didn’t want to travel to Schloss Mirama for the wedding. With the help of Wilhelm and I she had been polite and refused to go. She stated it would interfere with her studies as she did have a major test coming up the day after the wedding. That’s what kick started this whole mess. Stéphanie was infuriated with this and was now demanding Lizi come home. Franz Joseph was using this as the pretext to bring her under his control now. Something we have been able to deflect till now. We were now moving to try and stop it. However, my first thought when I saw Stéphanie was what an evil horrible woman.

She didn’t bow before me, “Victoria.” She said coldly. “Where’s my daughter?”

“Your daughter? You abandoned her back in 1889!” My blood was now boiling. “My husband and I were the ones who raised Lizi! She is my daughter!” I was all but yelling now.

Stéphanie moved closer to me looking like she was ready to smack me. I didn’t finch through. I had someone from the foreign office watching this in a hiding position in this room. IN a different position I had Lizi with Junior at her side watching this as well. Plus we had body guards ready just in case things when south. Besides I had at least 11 kilos on her, and it was mostly in muscle. I wasn’t afraid of her if that’s what she was trying. This was MY child she was talking about. I would walk through the depths of hell for my children in a heartbeat.

“She is my daughter! You were just a person who was willing to take in a broken child. Now that you got her right, I’m reclaiming my rights to her! She is MY daughter!”

I moved my left hand to the small of my back. I stuck out two fingers from a close fist. I might be hoping mad but I still had to play the game. That was my signal to bring Lizi and Junior into the room, even if would take a moment. “Just admitted Stéphanie you couldn’t be a mother to her.” I said after a moment of thought.

The slap came just as I heard the door open. Her hand contacted my left check and it had some force behind it. “You bitch, that’s my mother!” I heard not from junior, but Lizi not even a moment later.

I heard the heavy footsteps coming up from behind me. Lizi came into my field of view faster than I expected she than pushed Stéphanie on her ass; hard. “Touch her again.” She said got into a fighting stance. It was very unlady like, but Wilhelm had made it clear he wanted all his children to know basic self defense techniques. Lizi was showing that off right now.

That caused junior to move quickly and get in the middle of Lizi and Stéphanie to stop a fight from happening. You could see the anger in Lizi’s eyes. The push she had given Stéphanie was enough to send her at least a meter back. That had also caused a number of our bodyguards to enter the room. You could hear the fire in Lizi’s voice, “Empress Augusta Victoria is my mother.” She said as she pointed at me. She then pointed at Stéphanie, “You are nothing to me. NOTHING! I never want to see you again!”

The Viennese Waltz Pt II

Vienna
Schloss Schönbrunn
September 5 1900

I could see the anger in the eyes of Kaiser Franz Joseph as I looked at him. The news of what had happened in Berlin yesterday had just reached him given the summons I had got. I had learned of the news of what happened in Berlin since late last night. I had to handed it to Lizi she knew how to create a shit storm and a half. Granted her bio mother had played an even bigger fool than I thought was possible, I knew the name of the game would be shift the blame from Stéphanie to Lizi and thereby me. I had burned the midnight oil in effort to get ahead of this. Franz Joseph most likely would be playing with the idiot ball, which he was known to do meant I had to move carefully to keep the War of the Wedding from starting.

Even in my long-term planning I saw the German Empire eating a large part of Cisleithania, not all of it through, but in time. That was a card I was playing very close to the chest at the moment, as neither the German Empire or Cisleithania was ready for it. Yes, there was a growing movement within Cisleithania that wanted to ditch the Hungarians and join my empire, but they weren’t in the majority, yet. That was changing as Germany grew richer by the year, and Austria-Hungary was growing nowhere as fast. Plus with the Hungarians fucking things up they were falling behind and they knew it. This was even catching on in Czech lands and Carniola. The last one was surprising to me, as I hadn’t even viewed that as possible. Even through having ports on the Adriatic would be a boom, but I hadn’t believed that was something I could get before now.

Further I was allowing liberalization of my Empire. Franz Joseph on the other hand was a reactionary. And a stupid reactionary at that. I seriously never understood why Franz Joseph didn’t get more stick in the world I came from for basically starting World War One. The longer I got to know him here, the more the wonder built in me why didn’t he not catch more of the blame for that cluster of a war. Now I had to keep him from starting a war now.

“You raised my granddaughter to be a traitorous bitch.” Franz Joseph all but snarled. “I demand you hand over her over to be so I can punishment her.”

“Then I demand the same for her mother. She did slap MY wife first.” I replied but in a common control manner.

Franz Joseph look like he was about to say something in retort, then something happened. He slowly raised his left hand to his head. It looked like he was trying to raise his right hand as well, but it wasn’t moving as fast as the left. I been through enough first aid and medical training to know this was a possible sign of a stroke, “Franz why don’t you sit down.” I said hoping for him to sit down and not die.

“You…” He said before he collapsed under his own weight as his body gave way.

“Someone get the Doctor!” I yelled out as I moved to the fallen Kaiser.

It took me only a second to get there, and one look told me what this was. This was a stroke. It seemed this news had caused something that I didn’t think was possible. I then started to remove the collar from his suit to make it easier to breath. I took his pulse while I was there and felt it, it was all over the place. This was going to be bad I thought as I moved away as the doctor got in the room.

The Viennese Waltz Pt III

Vienna
Schloss Schönbrunn
September 6 1900

I stood looking out a window waiting as I wonder what the bloody hell happened yesterday. As I recalled, Franz Joseph had surprising good health and was to live for 16 years more in the world I came from. The old man only died during World War One during a cold winter. A winter that was also made worse by the Entente blockade that finally ended his long rein here. The fact he stroked out on me yesterday was making me wonder have if I had reached the point of no return. The point of my historical knowledge was no longer worth it and was now alternate history for this world I was now in. Then again, I have been creating massive butterflies in my time here; the Kongo, China, the 19 Days, and so on. It was something to give me pause and make me think about it.

Currently I was in the dark about the health of Franz Joseph since I had left the room where he had stroked out on me. I didn’t even know where he was being kept at the moment. The only thing I knew for sure was that what had happened yesterday was not being made public. There was no news about it in the Viennese papers I had read this morning after my workout routine. It made me wonder how bad off Franz Joseph was or if there was even a chance at recovery.

Even through I had first aid and medical training, I wasn’t a trained medic. That training was either learn because of state law or first aid training from my army days. It was basically enough to stabilize someone or stop the bleeding till someone with more training and skill came along. In this day in age through the odds of making it through a stroke that bad had to be dim. Even in the 21st century the odds weren’t great but I would still give it better odds than a snowball in hell odds which is what I was what I was giving at the moment for the fate of Franz Joseph.

It was with that train of thought that was making me think of who would replace Franz Joseph if he died. Franz Ferdinand was a strange fellow to put it bluntly, but I wasn’t 100% he would take over. He reminded me of an old coworker. He was the type of asshole who most could take in small doses, but after a while of his shit it would make you want to do something that would be unwise. The only reason I didn’t know for sure he would take over was because of the woman he wanted to marry.

Finding a woman who loved that kind of person was rare, yet Franz Ferdinand had found one. The only problem with it, was it would be a left-handed wedding if that was to happen. The woman Franz Ferdinand wanted to marry was the lady-in-waiting for Archduchess Isabella. Sophie was a noblewoman but of far lesser rank than that of Franz Ferdinand. Franz Joseph had been refusing to give his blessing to such a match for years now. Franz Ferdinand was refusing to give in to the demands of Franz Joseph he must marry a lady of equal status or renounce a number of rights for his future wife and children.

The problem lies with Franz Ferdinand’s younger brother Otto. Otto was far more personal than Franz Ferdinand. Up till last year, Otto was performing a number of tasks that was expected of the heir apparent. His scandals were making life too hot in the Viennese Court through, as he had slowly been withdrawing from public life in the past year. Given his love for the ladies, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out if he had some kind of STD, as even his wife was refusing to have anything to do with Otto.

All of that left me in something of a bind. I couldn’t actively plan for Austria-Hungary actions till I knew if Franz Joseph was even alive or not. If dead who take over or if still alive who would be prince regent. With the Viper’s Nest that was Viennese Court life, anyone would have their work cut out for them. Even more so with the Hungarians most likely using this as a way to gain more influence of the empire. Part of me wish I could end this, get what I wanted and be done with it already. However, that was a sucker’s play and I knew it.

In mid-thought the door to the room I was in opened. It was Franz Ferdinand who entered the room. “Wilhelm.” He simply stated.

I had just turned to look at the man, “Yes Franz?” I asked.

“You can go, and keep Elisabeth in Berlin. She is not welcomed here.” He said simply before turning his back on me and leaving me to wonder what the fuck had just happened.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 15 1900

After listening to that report, I had a simple but critically important question. “We don’t know who is calling the shots in Vienna do we?”

I had returned to Berlin confused about what happened when I was in that city. Normally I had some way to put what happened into context and figure out what happened that way. This time I didn’t have that. Then the news reports coming out of Vienna just made have a whiskey tango foxtrot moment on seeing said reports. They said that Kaiser Franz Joseph had suffered a mild stroke and needed time to recover. I might not have been someone who had proper medical training, but I knew enough to know that Franz Joseph didn’t suffer a “minor” stroke. You don’t collapse like Franz Joseph did from a minor stroke. That’s a major stroke, so that left me with many questions and a lot of confusions.

Being like that did not make me happy, and once I was back in Berlin I had called for my foreign office and intelligence agency to find out what the freak happened in Vienna. This was their first report to me on the subject. Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen looked at me, “The court in Vienna seems to be divided with those who want to maintain that Franz Joseph is fine and doesn’t need a regent. The Hungarians are supporting them which is what is giving them power at the moment. Which is keeping the part of the court that wish to declare the need for a regent in check and declaring Franz Ferdinand as a regent for Franz Joseph.”

I got out of my seat and slowly walked over to the window. My knuckles were turning white from gripping my cane this tightly. “Yes, but who do I talk to if something major international crisis was to arise?” I asked. I was pissed, my plans were so close to coming true that I could taste it. This could derail them.

Over the past month I had signed a formal alliance treaty with Japan. Because of racism in Vienna and Budapest I hadn’t been able to get them in as a junior member of the Triple Alliance. Italy was open to the idea, but Austria-Hungary had shot that down cold. So instead of that I had sign the German-Japanese Alliance Treaty. It brought them into the treaty system, and I had worked it in a way that it would still force the Triple Alliance being brought in to a war with Russia over Manchuria. At this point was where my money on where the nest war would start. It also gave Japan an out if there was a war in Europe, but I think they knew even through that out was there they couldn’t take it. They had secured a great power ally, and they couldn’t back away even if they could as their name would be ruined in international diplomatic circles if they did for a generation if not more. Still I was expecting the Russians to spark the next European War over Manchuria as even the British weren’t happy with the Russians holding Manchuria.

With Russia now having to worry about its eastern flank, they were also starting to have to worry about Central Asia. I was so close to having a formal alliance with the British I could taste it. They had just turned the tied against the Boer in Southern Africa this year. Ladysmith had been recaptured, just after the turn of the year. Then the British had taken Pretoria about two months later. The Boers however were refusing to surrender. They had taken to a guerrilla war trying to keep the British from annexing their lands.

The British had brought in Kitchener, which had been for the turnaround in how the British had performed in this war. He also had taken notes of how my army acted in China, then took it to another level. Any Boer found with a rifle or other firearm was being placed up against the wall and shot. He was also forming camp, the first concentration camps. That part made me sick to my stomach as I knew what those camps were like. I had decided to make a play a save something from that mess.

I made an offer to the British that Germany would be willing to take on babies and place them in state run orphanage. They had counter that offer and said only orphan children would be sent to state run orphanages through out the German Empire. I had accepted that to try and save some human suffering from those clusterfucks of the British concentration camp system. So far this had caused over 1,000 children under the age of five to enter the German orphanage system from British camps all over the empire. At this point through I wasn’t pushing the British on if they were really orphans or not. I didn’t want to know. This was me trying to save some of the children from the horrors that awaited them if they stayed in the camp system along with boosting the population of the empire in time.

Wilhelm von Schoen, “No sir we don’t know who to talk to if such an event were to happen.”

Anglo-German Alliance

London
Palace of Westminster
December 9 1900

After signing the treaty that was in front of me, I had to keep from grinning like an idiot. Once the treaty was taken away for our various foreign offices to take care of this treaty I called, “I believe a toast is called for.” I said in English.

Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury looked at me, “Yes I believe a toast is called for.” He said as the treaty before us was being taken away. One would go to the British foreign office with the other going to the German foreign office.

It took a moment but a servant came in with a pair of shot glasses. I wished I could be doing this toast with Jägermeister, but that hadn’t been discover yet. So instead, this toast would be coming from a bottle of Macallan Single Malt Scotch that had been aged for 30 years before being bottled. I had always liked Macallan, and it seemed my British “friends” had picked up on that. Then again, The Macallan Distillery did have a German Royal Warrant of Appointment. I wasn’t anywhere close to the world’s heaviest drinker. Normally it was a beer for dinner. If I wanted something more, it was a nice whiskey. If anything I knew I was a whiskey snob.

Once Prime Minister Gascoyne-Cecil took his glass I took mine, “To the British Empire.” I said as I held up my glass.

Prime Minister Gascoyne-Cecil held up his glass, “To the German Empire.” Then he both drunk.

I was still having to keep from grinning like an idiot at the moment. I had finally done it. The British had signed a treaty of alliance with me. This alliance was good for ten years, and could be renewed if needed. But I had bloody done it. Now I just had to wait.

1900 Year in Review

Domestic

Labor Act of 1900

There are two big ticket items under this act along with a lot of smaller items. The first big ticket item was the setting of a minimum wage of 38 Pfennigs per out. The other sets the standard work week as five ten-hour days. If someone works more than 50 hours in one week they are entitled to time and half pay.

Second Amendment to the German Constitution of 1893

This amendment simply expanded the cabinet by creating the Minister of Labor. It also formed the Ministry of Labor which is to oversee issues between labor and management and attempt to end this issues well for both sides.

Changes Within Government Personal

Carl Legien was named as the first Minister of Labor.

Newly Signed Treaties

German-Japanese Alliance

This treaty is a full on offensive and defensive alliance treaty. The world in general is viewing this as meaning Berlin and Tokyo are planning on beating China down again at some later date. Under the terms of the treaty through the nation that is planning an offensive war must inform the other, or the terms of the treaty and null and void. This treaty also covers who gets what in any further war with China, but that’s in a secret section of the treaty. Also talks between both nation’s general staffs are covered under this treaty. The treaty is set to cover 15 years before being renewed.

Potsdam Agreement

Under this agreement between Berlin and London, Boer children who become orphans because the war or parents dying in British concentration camps will be shipped to German state-run orphanages in either Europe proper or German Asian Colonies. By the end of the program over 20,000 Boer children under the age of 7 will have been shipped to German orphanages in (Redacted).

Anglo-German Alliance

This treaty is only a defensive alliance treaty.

Publicly the British know of the full well of the offensive and defensive alliance between Berlin and Tokyo. They had set it up to get in on the action in China if they so wish. Privately they are aware of the possibly of a war starting in Manchuria. Given how Russia has been behaving, they are looking at a chance to cut Russia down to size. Plus, they get to beat the French down again in such a war.

They also know via the Germans that Austria-Hungary is politically a mess. That’s make more clear by the fact no one has seen Franz Joseph since his “minor” stroke. Then again this is a closely guarded secret in Austria-Hungary, even though most nations know something is up, only London and Berlin have any idea how bad it really is. Also, under this treaty talks are set up to take place between each nation’s general staff. This treaty is set to be renewed in ten years.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Improving

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

It’s Complicated

Russia

Ice Cold

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Pistole 00

Mass: 675 g
Length: 180 mm
Barrel Length: 100 mm
Cartridge: 7.65 x 17 mm
Action: Simple Blowback
Feed System: 8 round box magazine
Note: General Officer and Special Service Issue

15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 00

Mass: 2,050 kg
Barrel Length: L/12
Crew: 7
Recoil: Hydro-Spring
Breech: Horizontal sliding-block
Carriage: Split Trail
Rate of Fire: 3 rpm (Sustained), 6 rpm (Burst)

Roon Class Armored Cruisers

13,000 tons Standard Load, 8 x 21 cm L/40s in Twins(4 Guns) and Casemates(4 Guns)[AKA Scharnhorst Class Cruiser Lay Out], 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 23 kts,

2 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

The Death of Queen Victoria

Isle of Wright
Osborne House
January 16 1901

My return to Germany had been a brief one before I had to return to England. This return however was a sad return. Queen Victoria health had taken a turn for the worse soon after the signing of the Anglo-German Alliance Treaty. She was happy with the signing of the alliance as it finally achieved her long-standing dream of a liberal England and a liberalizing Germany to unite together via alliance. Yet it had not been a good year for Victoria. Mary of Teck had more or less made it clear she would only be seen with Prince Albert Victor for public events. Plus, as 1900 marched on her health worsen.

That honestly didn’t surprise me as their marriage had been on the rocks for years. This stemmed from the fact that Eddy would doing anyone anywhere if the opportunity arose. It was that manwhore behavior that I believed let to the problems. If he had just had a mistress or three on the side, Mary might had been able to accept it and even mother more children than she did. The problem was if I had to bet that Eddy gave Mary an STD/STI of some kind. That had created the problems with the number of children they were having. But the fact Eddy couldn’t keep it in his pants and kept sleeping around had finally pushed Mary passed her limits and wanted nothing to do with Eddy. This was because Eddy couldn’t even pretend to be a good and faithful husband.

It was these actions that led to a major problem in the British line succession to the throne. Eddy and Mary had a single child, Edward. Edward was currently a seven year old child, but he was a sickly child. If being a hemophilia wasn’t bad enough, Edward was also paying for the sins of Eddy. That being in the form of Edward being legally blind. He did have some eye sight but from my time with him he could only see blurs and only at a few meters. Then in 1899 he had almost died from influenza. I had a feeling that was still affecting him. I personally doubted Edward would live to see adulthood.

This was causing questions of what would happen after Eddy became King of the United Kingdom. George who was currently commanding HMS Cressy on China Station was currently fourth in the line of succession. There was a question if George should be forced to give up his naval career in some parts of the British court to be in standby. Not for him but his son Henry most likely would end up on the throne. I know his wife, Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, would welcome that, but George honestly loved the sea and didn’t want to give it up. I think so long as George could give some pretense that Edward would live, he would keep up with his Royal Navy career instead of returning to London.

At the moment through I was reading about the newest foreign affair cluster, and this was Cuba. I knew that USS Maine didn’t blow up from a Spanish torpedo as some still tried to claim in the world I came from. So, I hadn’t been surprised when that didn’t blow up in 1898, but I was still wondering when that would spark a war between America and Spain. As this year started, I was starting to wonder if a spark wouldn’t come as the revolt in Cuba was starting to die off. Like in South African the Spanish noticed what the German Army did in China and took a page and applied to Cuba. That was finally starting to bring Cuba under control again.

What happened through that was looking to bring America into this war was something that reminded me of the Virginius Affair of 1873. The Spanish Navy had caught a gun runner supplying Cuban rebels along with carrying some Cuban rebels to Cuba in international waters. They hung of the Cuban rebels along with the American crew. Unlike the Virginius Affair the crew of the SS Yorktown didn’t have their corpses abused, which was an improvement for the Spanish. Still the fact the Spanish had treated the American crew as pirates wasn’t going over well in the US. It didn’t help matters that the like of William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were both running major yellow journalism campaigns beating the drums of war.

Currently I was thinking this would lead to war between America and Spain. I was going allow it to run its course. I could possibly stop it, but frankly I wanted to pick the bones of the Spanish Empire when this was done. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Enter.” I said in English as I started put away the papers that had been brought to me by the German Embassy in London.

“Your Majesty, Queen Victoria is requesting your presence sir.”

“Very well, I will be there in a few moments.”

At that the servant left the room and shut the door on his way out. I put the papers in the briefcase that they had been in and locked it. Then I locked the briefcase to the bed as I didn’t trust the fat ass that was here to not go through my papers. Granted nothing in there that they wouldn’t already know about, but I still didn’t trust the fat ass.

Once that was done, I made my way to the bedroom that Victoria was in. It me a few moments before I got there through. I saw Queen Victoria laying on her bed, and she didn’t look good. I knew her time was near, I just didn’t know how much longer she had. What surprised me was the fat ass was here as well. We had come to an understanding when I had reached Osborne House to stay out of each other’s way. It was to the point we couldn’t hide the fact we hated each other.

“Yes grandmother?” I asked.

“Come here Edward, Wilhelm.” She said.

That wasn’t a good sign as she was calling both of us by our given names instead of the nicknames, we both had. I took a seat by her as kneeling with my bad knee through possible would had been painful. I then rubbed her shoulder as I had done with my own real grandmother in her dying hours. “Boys, I know of the animosity between the both of you. I had hoped before the good lord called me home that you two would have worked this out, but you haven’t. Even now I can feel the hostility between the two of you.” At that point she started to cough.

“Mother, save your strength.” The fat ass spoke.

Before I had a chance to speak Victoria spoke through the coughing, “No.”

I was stunned by that. But once she had the coughing under control she started to speak again, “I brought you here to end this. You must bury the hatchet and allow my empire, and Wilhelm’s own empire guide Europe through these hard times to maintain peace.” She said as the coughing started again, but worse this time.

Turning to look at the fat ass wondering how he thought of this, he just shook his head. He was going to refuse his dying mother’s request. That’s low I thought. Moments later I heard the coughing stop, only Victoria didn’t start speaking again. I looked back at her; her chest wasn’t moving. I put my fingers on her neck to verify what I already knew. There was no pulse.

Fat ass looked confused as I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “Good bye grandmother.” I said softly and with pain in my voice. I had honestly loved this woman as a grandmother and this stung.

Recruitment Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 25 1901

I was studying the man before me as he stood before me. I had seen him in history books from a past life. I even did a paper on him in high school in that life. Even my history teacher had been shocked when I did the paper on him for the Black History month paper we had to do as most students pick better known people for that paper. Then again, I never did anything easy at that point in my life. There was also a reason why I wanted to speak to this man, as I believed he could help me achieve my goals in this new life. “Mister Du Bois.” I stated plainly, “To you wish to speak in English or German?” I was asking in English.

W.E.B. Du Bois had studied in Berlin for graduate work before going on to get his Ph.D. from Harvard. Its why I knew he could speak German. However, I decided to give him the choice of language as he hadn’t been in Germany for a while. “My German is a bit rusty sir.” He said in German, then switched to English, “English will be fine sir.”

“Very well Mister Du Bois, please take a seat.”

A moment later he was in the seat facing me. “Mister Du Bois do you know why I asked for this meeting?”

Indeed, I had paid for his trip here and having gotten him a first-class ticket on the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse which was the newest liner of Norddeutscher Lloyd. It was the first of the class of four that would be built. These ships were radically different than the ones built in history, as I knew enough maritime history to know for sure of that.

Currently I was pushing Norddeutscher Lloyd and the Hamburg America Line away from chasing the Blue Riband award. The fact that the government was giving both subsidies was helping in that. Instead of speed, I wanted both to go high tech, safety, and luxury. The SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was the first of her class but she was a break with past designs. She had steam turbines, a first for a ship of her size. That gave her a top speed of 20 knots which was still fast, but not Blue Riband fast. She also had water tight doors that when all the way to the main deck. Further the ship carried enough life boats for every passenger. Even if a number of them were collapsible life boats. The first class section of the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was known for its luxury with even the British liners being jealous of the luxury there.

“No, sir I don’t.”

I knew I would have to choose my words carefully here, “Currently in the German colonies there is a labor shortage, notably of skill labors.” I paused for a moment to see if Du Bois would bite.

He did. “Yes, the projects you are funding in your colonies are massive in scope. Unlike others you seem to be honestly trying to improve the lives of the natives in the areas.” He wasn’t lying either. I was making a point to get the basics needed for modern life into the major cities in the colonies at the

moment along with all the other massive infrastructure projects I had going on there. The bottleneck was funding, but labor. I just didn’t have enough skill labor to go to the colonies along with all the projects that were happening here in Germany.

“I would like your help in recruiting skill labor to help end the bottleneck I currently have in the colonies.” That caused Du Bois to raise an eye brow. “You act surprise, why Mister Du Bois?”

“Why should I help you take advantage of my people in America?”

“Because unlike those in Washington I will offer you a better life and equal rights. After what happened in Wilmington, to you honestly believe you can reason with those in power in the United States to give as you put it, your people, civil rights? Because so along as Booker Washington type people are around, they will keep a boot on your neck to keep you from rising up.”

I could see I hit a nerve with that, good that’s what I needed. “Further President McKinley just appointed four former Confederate generals to fight a war with Spain. McKinley a man who fought to kept the Confederates from winning that war is now actively bring the people he fought back to power, and isn’t commissioning your people as you put it. After Wilmington, to you honestly believe that anyone in power in the US would give a good damn about the plight of your people?”

Du Bois paused as he was trying to figure out how to go from there. Wilmington Insurrection didn’t get much play in American newspapers outside the black press such as that was. Yet here was a monarch from a Great Power who knew about it. “What are you offering sir?”

“If you agree to work with me, I will offer passage and housing that is worth that name to everyone you recruit to bring to work in German colonies. Further they will be paid a proper wage for their labor. Once the colonial citizenship act passages later this year, they will have the right to vote if they become citizens without fear of being lynched or beaten by whites.”

“Only if you allow them to have a chance to migrate to Germany as well.”

“Done.”

Family Matters 1901

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 1 1901

I saw the man I loved with all my heart sitting at his desk with his hands-on his face. I saw a glass of scotch over the rocks was on his desk. I knew what this was about, the work he had put into the colonial citizenship act was paying off. The vote had been held today and it passed, if barely. As in single vote margins barely. I knew he was relieved that it had passed as he had been working for this goal for years now. Frankfurt was to send him the act to sign in a few days, so it was almost over with us being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Knowing how much stress he had placed himself under I decided he needed some stress relief. Then again so could I, so, I let him hear my footsteps as I walked up behind him. We both might have been in our early 40s, but we still loved each other like there was no tomorrow. It was honestly the fairy tell love everyone wants but doesn’t dare hold out hope for. Somehow, we had been lucky enough to find it, even if it we don’t know how all this happened.

Once I was behind his seat his hands were on the desk as he knew only I would walk that way in his office. I placed my hands over his eyes and lowered by head to be by his ear, “Guess who.” I whispered with a joking tone in my voice.

“Karen?” Wilhelm said in his own joking tone.

“Try again.”

“Melissa?”

“Nope.”

“Ah, you must be the lovely, beautiful Dona.” Wilhelm said with a huge grin on his face.

“You get a prize for that one.” I quietly said as I moved around and got in his lap for a passion fueled kiss.

A few moments later we both came up for air. “I will never tired of that.” I said with a hint of what I wanted in my voice.

“Neither will I.” Wilhelm replied.

But there was something in his tone that could tell me his mind was still somewhere else. “Spill it mister. What is it?”

Wilhelm bit his lip as he was searching for his words. That alone told me this was big. When he wasn’t guarded, he was fairly easy to read. I honestly think I was the only person he allowed to see him like this. Finally, Wilhelm broke the silence, “I want to be a father again.”

“What???” The last time we had kids had damn near killed me. It was nothing short a miracle that our four children from that time all lived more than a few hours along with me. The doctors had been clear through, I couldn’t have kids again or I would die. I couldn’t believe Wilhelm would bring this up as we had always been careful to make sure I didn’t get pregnant again.

“No, no, no.” Wilhelm seeing what I was thinking. “I was thinking about adoption.”

“Why? We already have a large family so why make it larger?” We had the four that had been born prior to taking over these bodies plus the eight we made. Our youngest were going to be nine in a matter of days. Plus, there was Lizi who would make 13. Why would Wilhelm want more?

“Gannibal.” Wilhelm said simply.

I studied his face for a moment, “Is there more to that or to I have to guess?” I said with a bit of a pout in my voice. It was playful through.

“There’s more to it. Let me explain…”

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XV

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 16 1901

“It’s all over but the crying now.” I said as I studied the maps of the Philippines and Cuba.

Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann spoke, “We agree with that statement sir. The Spanish have recalled the Cristóbal Colón and her escorts from their plans to challenge the remains of Dewey’s fleet at Manila Bay.”

Manila Bay hadn’t been the one-sided curve stomp that I had known from my past life. The Spanish battleship Pelayo had been in Manila Bay when the war started along with a host of other old Spanish warships. Granted they had been used to bomb the living crap out of Filipino rebels and hadn’t been training to engage ships when Dewey came in with fleet they had put up a somewhat creditable defense. The USS Baltimore had suffered a magazine explosion when one of the 32 cm shells from the Pelayo had hit one of the magazines of the ship. She had been a total lost. The USS Brooklyn had suffered a mine hit and had to beach herself from sinking. It was questionable if she could be savaged or not from the reports I had seen.

The Spanish fleet through had been lost. The factor that decided the battle was when the Pelayo was forced to strike her colors. The lost of that ship took the fight out of the Spanish and the remaining ships that hadn’t already stuck their colors or beached themselves to keep from sinking follow suit. But Dewey was badly damaged from the fight. From my reports Dewey really couldn’t defend himself if another Spanish squadron was to come into Manila Bay.

It seemed that the Spanish knew that as well. They send the Cristóbal Colón and whatever warships they could scrap together to finish off Dewey. They had made it as far as Goa where they were coaling up to keep going before they were forced to turn back for Spain. What forced that recalled order was the defeat of the Spanish Fleet in the Caribbean at Santiago. That was a lopsided victory for the Americans as I knew it. The only difference in the Caribbean as far as I could tell was the sinking of USS Atlanta which got caught off Puerto Rico by a pair of torpedo boat destroyers that managed to put a couple of torpedoes into the old ship.

“General how long can the Spanish in Cuba hold out without the cover of their navy?” I asked. I knew it was over at this point but I was wondering how much longer the Spanish might try to drag this out.

Generaloberst Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff spoke, “Assuming the American Army isn’t wrecked by Yellow Fever or some other tropical disease, only a matter of weeks. They are cut off from resupply and the Cuban rebels that had been losing their fight are rising up again in the countryside.”

Havana was still in Spanish hands at the moment, but it was only a matter of time before it was forced to surrender. Puerto Rico, well San Juan had fallen to American forces. With San Juan in their hands, they effectively controlled that island. The Philippines was the wild card through as the rebellion against the Spanish there was still burning brightly. Even with the even more heavy-handed efforts that had taken place against the Filipino rebels they were pissed and willing to die for their cause. I almost pity the Americans if they tried to force the Philippines into commonwealth status like they did in the history I knew. Almost.

“Is there any chance that the Americans will try to force a landing in the Canaries?” I asked.

For the Americans to threaten the Spanish main they would have to take the Canary Islands. The Americans had the ships but I doubt the Spanish would force them.

Hollmann spoke first, “Its unlikely. The Spanish efforts to buy up warships had failed. The Americans just have more money to offer. They don’t have a creditable threat outside the Cristóbal Colón. The only reason she had a chance to destroy Dewey was because of the damage Dewey had taken already. Against the American fleet in the Atlantic she doesn’t have a chance to do anything other than die loudly. Everything else the Spanish have is hopelessly outdated against what the Americans can bring to bear. At this point the Spanish need to sue for peace from being pounded into dust.”

I agreed with that. Then again you never knew with Madrid.

Tech Growth Part XII

Dar es Salaam
Firing Range
June 29 1901

After recovering from his wounds and returning to Germany for six months of Amphibious Problem Exercises Hauptmann Martin Friedrich Langholz was back out on the line. Only unlike when he had been stationed in German New Guinea, he wasn’t a company commander. Instead, he was serving on the battalion staff. It was part of the gateway to higher command and having knotted shoulder boards so he was putting up with it. He however wanted to be in command again.

The majority of the officers of the Seebattaillon 2 along with some of the NCOs were here for this introduction to the newest weapon system that would be put through its paces with the Imperial German Marine Corp in field trials. The changes to the German Army and Marine Corp could be seen at this firing range. All of the officers and NCOs here were wearing their newly issued Stahlhelme that had replaced the Pickelhaube in use. Granted it was still being issued to all infantry units at the moment as they were being made, with the Pickelhaube still being in use with all other combat units. That was changing through. Currently plans called for all combat units to issued with the Stahlhelm by the end of 1904. Once that was done the plan was to equipped the Colonial and Reserve combat units with them before issuing them to every German soldier. The goal for that was 1910.

Major Meyer was from Brigade HQ in Kiel and one of the officers that was being used to teach the Marines who would be issued this weapon if everything when well in field trials. That was to hand this to every NCO and the junior officers to help support the movement of the infantry to take the objective. Langholz was looking at his weapon in Major Meyer hand just before the briefing was to start. He had seen and handle the new self-loading rifles. There was a company in this Seebattaillon that was taking part in the field trials of that weapon. That company loved their rifles, but it was still about a year from formal adoption at the moment. This however weapon however looked nothing like that self-loading rifle which had Langholz curious as to what it was.

Another new weapon that was being tested in this unit was the rifle grenade. Currently that was being tested with the companies that weren’t issued with the self-loading rifle. Langholz knew having those in China could had come in handy, but they had only entered testing in the past year. They threw a grenade that had a few hundred grams of high explosive out to 200 meters. Yet given how they worked; they couldn’t be fitted to the new self-loading rifles. The back pressure on the op rod of those would break under the pressure.

“Gentlemen, Sergeants, this is the newest weapon that is to be tested by us Marines!” Major Meyer started the briefing.

“Oorah!” Came the call from the officers and the NCOs present.

“This is the maschinenpistole, which is capable of fully automatic fire.” That piece of news got everyone’s attention. Even the light machine guns that they were testing couldn’t be easily handled one handed like Major Meyer was doing with this. It was at this point that the technical information of this started to come out. With the more the major was saying the more it sounded like a wunderwaffe even with its limited range of 300 meters.

With the low rate of rife of the maschinenpistole which was around 400 rounds per minute it was stated it would be easy to control. It was fed from 20 round box magazines. Through in a pinch it could fire the 8 round magazines of what was likely to be the new service pistol of the German empire. The goal of this was to allow NCOs and junior officers use this as suppressive fire as the infantry moved forward to close with the target. Given the limited range of the sizes which ended at 500 meters meant you had to be close already to the target. Still for something that weight around 4.2 kilos it was impressive for what it could do.

Once the technical part of the briefing was done, Major Meyer fired the weapon down range to show case the ability of the weapon. Indeed, it was easy to control from the way Major Meyer controlled the weapon. From the looks of it you didn’t have to lean into the weapon too much and it didn’t climb on you.

After that everyone broke off in groups to test the weapon as there were a total of 12 of them here today. In the group that Hauptmann Langholz was in they all found out that it was something of a pain to load the magazines. Then again these were double stack single feed magazines and you needed the use of a tool to load the magazines. As loading three or four rounds it was all but impossible to load more into the magazine given the resistance the magazine was giving. That said every one who fired the weapon enjoyed it and many saw the possiblies of the weapon. Langholz notably after having served in China.

Outside the 12 maschinenpistole for the first stage of the field trials Major Meyer brought the web gear for the weapon to be tested. NCO web gear would have them carry six magazines on their chest with three on each side of their chest. The officer web gear was radically different with a thigh gearing system designed to carry three magazines on a single thigh. This would give NCOs seven magazines with four for officers.

Colonial Build Up Pt IV

Madrid
Palacio Real de Madrid
August 4 1901

The sting of the defeat in the Spanish-American War could be felt in the air across Madrid. Mourning might be the better choice of words for it through. With their losses in that war, the days of Spain as a great power were well and truly dead. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were a handed over directly to the Americans. Cuba would be in an odd limbo for a few years before be granted its full independence by the Americans. Henry Teller made sure Cuba would become its own nation instead a part of the unofficial American Empire.

Konstantin von Neurath was one of member of a small team from the German Embassy here in Madrid to meet with the Spanish. Neurath was the junior man here having only been in the foreign service for a few years with Madrid being his first posting to another nation. He didn’t know the reason of this meeting. He was serving here as the do boy for the more senior members of the diplomatic team at this meeting. He was here more to learn than do anything. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be used by the seniors to run errands for them during this meeting.

Spain was deeply in debt at the moment. Even with the money from the Treaty of Paris that the US gave them in effort to smooth over the rough feelings about their defeat they were still short on money. It wasn’t digging in the couch for a few extra céntimos broke, but they couldn’t rub two pesetas together either. Fighting a rebellion in multiple colonies was a costly endeavor, and that had put a strain on Spanish finances even before they got into the war with the Americans. Even through the Spanish were humiliated they needed cash badly to reorganize themselves to keep them from slipping even further back than they already had.

It was to that end that the Spanish had reached out to Germany about possibly selling its remaining Pacific holdings which they now couldn’t hold even if they wanted to. Further they were looking at the possibly of unloading some of their worthless African holdings if the Germans were willing to buy them. This meeting was to gauge how much the Germans were willing to pay the Spanish. The money would be used to help dig Spain out of the hole it was in terms of debt. This would allow them to start the process of turning themselves into a regional power.

Kaiser Wilhelm was more than willing to make a deal. So it wasn’t a question if this would happen it was more how much it would cost Germany and the terms of the treaty.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVI

Brussels
Royal Palace of Brussels
September 15 1901

For centuries the French had been the nation to beat in Europe. Only the English and their navy kept the French from having their natural border on the Rhine river. Even then the French slowly marched closer and closer to achieving their dreams of a border on the Rhine. That march to taking their natural borders on the Rhine through came to a crashing halt in a war that was a national humiliation. All French political and military leaders wanted to take revenge for 1871 and reclaim their crown as the most powerful nation in Europe and put Germany in her place for good. Not only did they want to retake the lost province but they wanted to carve out a pound of flesh from the Germans as well.

Now through it was those leaders who swore to avenge 1871 were waking up in cold sweats when they slept. 1871 had been a fluke. A series of coincidences that allow Germany to defeat France; nothing more. France would once again prove to the world that it was the leader in land warfare in the next world. These ideas through were being hit with cold hard reality and those in power in Paris didn’t like what they were seeing. Even with the revolving door of French Prime Ministers they knew if something wasn’t done soon, they, would have to admit something that no proud Frenchmen would ever admit to.

The Germans have now secured an alliance with their ancient foes in London. This created many problems for the French but they believed a swift victory could negate this alliance. One problem however lay before the French and their goal of a swift victory. The Franco-German frontier was a mess for offensive operations. Plus the Germans were building an ungodly number of machine guns. Even

French military officers thought the Germans were crazy for building that many machine guns as they couldn’t be used all at once. Currently the Germans had an unheard of anywhere else 260 machine guns per division and that number was climbing. Then there was the forts that manned the border themselves. Some reports that the Kaiser wanted four or five machine guns for every 1,000 meters of the border. Currently the Reichstag was fighting over that number but still France couldn’t hope to match those numbers.

It was two pieces of information that had just come to be known by the French that had sent the French into a tizzy. The first was the plans for the Germans to formally adopt a self-loading rifle next year. Mauser in Oberndorf, DWM in Berlin, along with the whole German state arsenal system were gearing up to make these rifles and in massive numbers. The French had known of the German self-loading rifle program since 1895. This had led to an increase into funding to make sure the French had a rifle to match the Germans.

Only there was one problem. None of the French state arsenals had found a way to create a self-loading rifle that was ready for testing by the army, never mind field trials. Many were screaming that even the new Balle D ammo was not something that could be used for a self-loading rifle. The Balle D which was becoming the new standard of French rifle ammo had started life off as 11 mm Gras before being necked down to 8 mm. This gave the Balle D round a major tapper. The problem was the Chamber of Deputies didn’t want to spend the money to replace all the 8 mm ammo they now had.

The second was something they psychically had their hands on. One of their intelligence sources within Germany had managed to get a hold of ten rounds for a new machine gun that was currently under development. This new machine gun used a new round of ammo and not the standard 7 mm Mauser round that was common to German rifle weapons. This round was a scaled up rifle round being measured at 13.2 x 105 mm. The velocity reported for these new rounds was mind numbing at being over 920 meters per second. France hadn’t confirmed this as they had nothing to test these few rounds they had. What a bullet that side going that fast could do was something many didn’t want to see.

All this wasn’t touching the massive improvements the Germans were making to their artillery arm as well. To achieve a swift victory, they would have to go around the Franco-German frontier. They however had a willing dance partner in the form King Leopold II. Leopold was still sore from being forced to sell his colony off to the Germans. Further he was watching Germans mine gold and diamonds from HIS colony and turn a profit. That wasn’t coming everything else they were doing there.

The German Kongo was well on its way to be the crown jewel of the German Empire. Leopold wanted the Congo back. Paris was more than willing to strip the crown jewel of the German Empire away from Germany and give it back to Leopold if it meant they could achieve a rapid victory. The question here was more what else did Leopold want. He to wanted a pound of flesh from Germany for the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Germany.

The Viennese Waltz Pt IV

Vienna
Schloss Schönbrunn
October 29 1901

Archduke Franz Ferdinand slammed the door as he retired to his private office. He should be prince regent right now instead of this rule by committee system that formed in the aftermath of Kaiser Franz Joseph’s stroke last year. Instead, he was being denied his rightful place to rule the Austrian Empire! To hell with Austria-Hungary, it should return to being the Austrian Empire once more. The Hungarians were nothing more than a stone around his neck and they needed to be put in their proper place.

The only problem was the Hungarians had enough allies within Cisleithania to keep him from taking his proper place which was to rule. Instead, he was having to watch as Kaiser Wilhelm led Germany to taking a leading place in the world while his empire was falling behind. Then again, he had odd feeling of respect and envy for Kaiser Wilhelm. It was respect for what Wilhelm had done, but he was bitter by the fact he couldn’t do the same. He knew if he was in charge, he would be even more successful than Wilhelm currently was.

Franz Ferdinand wanted to scream at the Hungarians. They were pushing for cuts to military spending. Where they mad? What he didn’t understand through was this was a ploy by the Hungarians. They wanted to increase the amount of artillery within the Honvéd. The Hungarians still wanted their own nation free of the Habsburgs. They however knew in the current political situation their nation would either be destroyed by the Russians or be forced to be ruled under a Hohenzollern. That was almost as bad as being ruled by a Habsburg. They also damn sure didn’t want to suffer the fate as the Poles did. So, they were waiting and plotting for the right moment.

The Hungarians however viewed time as their friend at the moment. They knew enough that a war in Europe was more a question of when and not if. With the British allying with Berlin, they knew that they would likely see the Russians defeated as well as get revenge for 1848. Once they no longer had to worry about the Russian bear they could move against the Habsburgs and create their own nation. This was one of the reasons they wanted to keep the alliance with Germany.

Even with Franz Joseph being alive, he wasn’t what he once was. He could talk, barely. His mind through was gone. He prone to violent outburst to those who tended him without warning. In the year since his stroke Franz Joseph had made very limited public engagements. These were events that his handers could control events so no one would learn how bad his health was. This way they could maintain the illusion that Franz Joseph was still the all-powerful Kaiser of the Austro-Hungarian Empire instead of the current rule by committee that was running the empire.

For Franz Ferdinand he really didn’t understand how he was losing support even with those who wanted him to be prince regent. What this was stemming from the fact he wanted to end the alliance with Germany. Those in his faction understood how important that alliance was. Without it Cisleithania would quickly fall and the Austrian Empire/Austria-Hungary would become a foot note to history. There was too much support for an Anschluss with the German Empire within the majority regions of Cisleithania. Support for an Anschluss was even growing in Galicia of all places and Franz Ferdinand’s faction knew this even if Franz Ferdinand didn’t or didn’t want to understand it.

There was a reason a small splinter faction within the group that was supporting Franz Ferdinand were starting to come to the idea of bring back Archduchess Elisabeth Marie. Yes, she had had been raised by Kaiser Wilhelm. Yes, she was due to be married to Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia next year. Yes, the incest angle there would be all but impossible to miss. She was young enough that they believe they could control her and show her the greatness of her birth nation. In time with their guidance, they would be able to bring Austria-Hungary to a position of greatness again.

Another small faction also wanted to see the return of Archduchess Elisabeth Marie. Their reasons for wanted to see her return were vastly different. They wanted to see an Anschluss with Germany and jettison the Hungarians. That way latter they could put the Hungarians in their place when the time and place suited Germany. Her pending marriage to Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia was a blessing not a curse as some saw it. Granted he wasn’t a Catholic but that could be fixed.

Franz Ferdinand was angry through, as the current power system in the empire was a house of cards. Even a slight shake to the system would be enough to bring it down. He wanted to do it, but he knew he didn’t have enough support to do it. So he was working behind the curtains to move himself into the power position as he saw fit. The question he was asking himself would he had enough support when the curtains raise to be the one in power or not. He believed he would.

Reasons for Celebration Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
December 3 1901

“To the man of the hour!” I said after finishing my speech. There was a cheer from everyone in the room as they raised their mugs into the air praising what one man had pulled off on one September day on the Baltic Coast.

Otto Lilienthal was the man of the hour. He had achieved the world’s first power flight on September 19th of this year. There had only been a few people there to see that flight that lasted only a few minutes before Lilienthal touched down again. The flight most people knew about through was the one on the 25th that had the press there. As with the flight on the 19th, Lilienthal’s flight on the 25th lasted only for a few minutes and barely covered a few kilometers of ground. There was no denying that he had achieved heavier than air power flight through.

Since the 25th, Otto had performed three more flights as he worked on refining his design. His aircraft was still more a proof of concept than anything else at the moment and he knew it. He had proven it was possible to build a heavier than air flying machine. Now he wanted to make it something more than a toy which it was at this point. If I had to guess it was because he figured that was where the money would really start to come in.

As I put my mug down, I started to mingle in the crowd. Given I still needed a cane to get around I always took it easy on the amount I drank. While I had never been a teetotaler, I had never been a heavy drinker either. Now through with the cane, I took it easier on the sprits I drank as well. I already had one beer with dinner, and that mug was by second. So, I was taking it easy and to make sure walking wouldn’t become a challenge.

This had been a mix year through. The personal front had been good if a sign I was getting old. That came when Eitel had asked for Lizi’s hand in marriage. I’m fairly sure the whole of Berlin heard her say yes. Eitel had also been commissioned as a Leutnant in the 3rd Foot Guard, and was now stationed here in Berlin. Lizi would most likely be a lawyer next year, so it was looking like they had a good future ahead of them. As for the oldest, there was still no luck in finding him a wife. Junior however didn’t lack for female company. It hadn’t caused a scandal yet, but I had to read him the riot act in effort to keep it in his pants. I was hoping whoever he married would be able to keep him from having a wondering eye.

Elsewhere on the personal front my idea of adopting a native African child had came to nothing. Dona understood where I was going with it, but she didn’t want any more children. If I didn’t have her support then I knew it would go nowhere fast. So, I dropped the idea, and decided to work on getting some of my children to do that and get possible people trained to take on royal houses in Africa when the time came for that. But that was much into the future. Junior was only 20 and unmarried, so there was more than enough time.

On the domestic front, it had been a fairly quiet year for the most part after getting the colonial citizenship bill passed at the imperial level. I had labor peace unlike a lot of my neighboring nations. This was allowing me to have a rapidly growing economy. Then again this was coming from my ability to step in before feelings harden to the point, they can’t move their positions for neither love nor money. Labor was happy as they were seeing increases to salary and improvements to working conditions. Ownership was happy with the increase profits they were seeing.

It was on the foreign affairs front I was worried. Spain had its ass handed to it by the United States. Granted it hadn’t been the cake walk I knew of the Spanish had taken it on the chin. That open the door for me to secure small colonies in the Central Pacific and Central Africa from the Spanish. Yet it made me wonder if the US would get a taste for acting on the world stage from its victories. They had already brought the French out of their Panama Canal holdings and were in talks with Colombia to build a canal there. So, it was wait and see there.

No what had me worried was the intelligence reports I had of the French Army performing its own foreign policy efforts. It seemed they wanted to out flank my defensives on the Franco-German border and they wanted to go through Belgium to do it. It seemed Leopold was butt hurt enough to listen to them, but now I was having to look at adding to that front. If this was an effort to get a first strike in or something they can go to their political masters and say we can do this and win was something I didn’t know at the moment.

The only good news was the alliance with Austria-Hungary was still there. Granted I wasn’t the most liked person in that nation, most understood breaking the alliance would be suicide for their nation/s. The Hungarians were the biggest supporters of the alliance. Frankly I didn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, but I would work with them at the moment. Really the only ones who wanted to break the alliance was Franz Ferdinand and a few people close to him. If Franz Joseph had a mind that was working like it should he most likely would be for breaking the alliance as well. Then again Austria-Hungary at the moment was a freaking mess at the upper levels and honestly there was no sight of it getting any better anytime in the near future.

1901 Year in Review

Domestic

Colonial Citizenship Act of 1901

This bill was hotly debated by the Reichstag before being signed into law. By this law natives in the colonies can apply for colonial citizenship. This application is in a two-part form. The first is a written test, that can be taken either in German or Polish. The Polish part was needed to get enough votes to get this over the finish line. This test is simply to see if the person applying for colonial citizenship has a better than basic but not fluent command of the language, they selected to take the test in. If they pass this part of the test then an interview with colonial officials. This is to make sure you aren’t doing this under duress or are not of sound mind. Rules for both are outlined in this act, through challenging the process is fair.

I can hear it now, what does one gain from getting colonial citizenship? They gain a few things. First they gain the right to vote for an adviser to the colonial government at the local level. Unless it’s moved up by later law, they will be allowed in 20 years to vote for an adviser to the full colonial level. They further also have a tax credit for when they file their taxes. Finally, if they can pass a university entrance exam they can go to said university and get a partial scholarships for their studies. This will be in the way of room, board, and travel to that university from their colony.

Further said this act creates an officer class within the native population. This creates a path for natives to become officers in the Schutztruppe. However, to be a native officer in the Schutztruppe one must be a colonial citizen first. It also creates it where natives you serve honorably for a period of ten years in the Schutztruppe can become a colonial citizen if you simply past the first part of the process. Finally on the military side it also sets up both four each army and naval academies to train officers in the colonies.

Children of colonial citizens are conditional colonial citizens. They will become full colonial citizens so long as they finish Realschule or a higher-level of education.

Unrelated to the citizenship part of this act, the bill funds the founding of eight different agricultural colleges in the colonies.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

American-German Treaty of 1901

This treaty is related to the agreement that Kaiser Wilhelm made with W.E.B. Du Bois. The aim of the Kaiser was to make sure that W.E.B. Du Bois and those who agree to be agents of the German Empire wouldn’t be harassed by Southerns. It basically givens them limited diplomatic immunity. However there is a carve out that Du Bois and his agents can’t recruit anyone who indebted. That said, the debt can be paid off then that person can be recruited.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Excellent

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

It’s Complicated

Russia

Ice Cold

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Elsass Class Battleship

14,500 tons standard load, 4 x 30.5 L/40s in Twins, 17 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 18 kts, well armored/KCA

Elsass
Hessen

Stuttgart Class Light Cruiser

3,300 tons standard load, 10 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 23 knots

6 Ordered

U-2 Class Submarine

190 tons surfaced, 210 tons submerged, 2 bow tubes, 10 kts surfaced, 6 kts submerged

2 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

Family Matters 1902

Berlin
Stadtschloss
January 16 1902

I watched as my younger brother and adopted sister were induced to the crowd. This was one of many events related to their engagement before their marriage was set to take place in June of this year, I had mixed feelings on this. I was happy for them. Anyone around them for the last five years knew this outcome was only a matter of time. They were so in love, it reminded me of my own parents and the loved they shared. It was a true love. The love that our parents told us we should try to seek out.

On the other hand, though, I was angry with Eitel and Lizi. With their upcoming marriage would put more pressure on me to find a wife to settle down. After all, how can the crown prince be a bachelor with his younger brother already having a wife? I was only 20 and there were so many women to love before I would finally have to take a wife. I wanted more time, but it seemed that time was starting to run out.

Kaiser Wilhelm and his wife and my mom were beside me as we watched this. If one looked closely you could see a few gray hairs in the solid black that was his head of hair. Most likely the same could be said for my mom. If you believed what my dad said, I was the cause of those gray hairs. This was the first formal event since I had been caught in bed with a junior noble woman far below my rank. My mother had walked in on that. What came next was even less fun than that. I had never seen my father so angry before. If I was honest with myself, I never wanted to see him that angry again. I also knew that being caught like that, had cause my father to place some extra body guards on my detail. It wasn’t there for my safety but to make sure I didn’t add another victory to my bed post.

After this event was over, I would be returning to the University of Bonn to further my studies tomorrow. I was currently in my second year there. I was working on two different degrees at once, one in political science the other in history. Like my father before me I was also a member of the Corps Borussia Bonn. That made it hard to find time for women, but prior to being caught by mother I had managed. Now it was all but impossible.

The main reason I was here was to socialize and possibly find a woman who I could marry. Even through my parents wanted me to find love, they didn’t want to be grandparents anytime soon. Then again knowing Eitel and Lizi they would be grandparents sometime next year.

After the intro of Eitel and Lizi was over I started to mingle with the crowd. After a few minutes I was speaking with some friends when I saw Feodora of Saxony-Meiningen. She was a few years older than myself but unwed. I knew there had been a few attempts to marry her off, but none had worked so far. Seeing this as a chance to at least dance with a woman I left my friends to ask her for a dance.

Ending a War Pt II

Near Pietersburg, British Occupied
Blockhouse
February 27 1902

Sergeant Matt Jones MM was performing some paperwork as the soldiers under his command maintain the various duties of the blockhouse he was in charge of. The blockhouse in question was one of the early ones built after the Boers when to fighting a guerrilla war against the British. This meant it was a stone-built block house instead of the later ones which were double-skinned corrugated iron structures. Even through they cost more to make, the stone blockhouses were liked better by the troops that manned them as they weren’t as hot as the iron blockhouses. The iron was were like ovens given how hot they got during the summer.

For some of the men of the 1st Victorian Rifles they had been at war for over four years now. First, they fought in China. They thought that had made them ready to fight the Boers in South Africa, how wrong they had been. China had been a walk in the park when put up against the fight that was taking place here in Southern Africa. They had been badly bloody in the effort to take Pretoria to point they had been pulled back to Natal to rest and regroup. Then Lance Corporal Matt Jones had performed well in that battle and been mentioned in dispatches for his bravery there.

Jones would keep climbing the ranks and would be awarded the military medal last year. This was for a Boer attempt to destroy the blockhouse he and his section were assigned to defend. It was a bloody battle for both sides as the Boer some how got a piece of light artillery in range of that blockhouse. Many in his section created Jones for the reason the Blockhouse didn’t fall that day along with capturing that piece of artillery the Boers had come to play with.

The war through in Southern Africa was brutal. It had become a war of no quarter asked for no quarter given. The Boer Commandos knew they would be put up against the wall if they were captured by the British. So, they fought to the death if they couldn’t retreat. This caused the British to go even harder on Boer civilians. The British and other soldiers fighting the Boer had also taken on the fight to the death mentality as the Boer would kill all British soldiers they captured as well at this point. The British were scorching the earth where ever they when in the Boer republics. Civilians were sent to concentration camps. From the rumors they were hearing one out every ten Boers who had entered those camps died there.

Children under the age of 5 just were not found in these camps. The British had adopted the policy of sending all children of that age to German orphanages. There was also a loose definition of what a war orphan was with many children over the age of 5 also being sent to German orphanages. In true very few children were found within the British concentration camp system at this point.

With his paperwork done, Jones got up from his desk and started to walk the rounds at his block house. As he did he saw one of the replacements to his unit, “Private, how are you doing?” He asked. The private had only been in the unit for a few weeks.

“Wondering if there are any truth to the peace talks.” He replied.

“Best not to be wondering about that private. Keep your mind focused on guarding the house from the hogs sneaking up on us.”

“Yes sergeant.” The private replied.

At that Jones kept going with his walk around. He had heard the rumors as well of peace talks taking place to end the war. However, given how brutal this war had been Jones didn’t see a peaceful end to it. He however wanted to war to end. He knew he had missed much in his native nation. He missed the formation of Australia. Currently the various pre-federation units were maintaining their pre-federation names. They however had taken an oath to the new Commonwealth of Australia.

Unknown to Jones a peace treaty was only hours away from being signed. The Boer Republics would lose a lot in this war and peace treaty, but they were signing the treaty as a way to keep their people from becoming a modern Carthage.

Colonial Build Up Pt V

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 4 1902

“Now, I just need to get the Reichstag to approve the budget for what I want to do with these colonies.” I said to myself.

After a over a half of year of back and fore between my teams in Madrid and Madrid itself we finally had a signed treaty. These likely would be the last colonies I could buy, but I was happy with them. The host of the island chains out in the Pacific, really didn’t do much for my empire’s bottom line. Yes, there were some nice fishing rights there. There might even be some phosphate despots which was worth the effort. That however was never going to allow those islands to break even on the ledger and I knew it.

There was really only one island in that group I wanted, but I couldn’t get it by itself without raising too many eyebrows. That being Truk as it was known at the moment, or as I knew it in my past life Chuuk. It would be the perfect anchorage for the German Pacific Squadron once that was properly formed. Simpsonhafen was a good harbor, but I knew damn well about the caldera there. I wasn’t putting the money into a major naval base there then watch I get destroyed by a bloody volcano in the 30s. The German Chinese Colonies simply were not places I wanted to put the German Pacific Squadron.

In order to hold it long term through I would need to keep the Japanese as my allies at the least. Given all the other juicy targets out there, I believe that would be possible. If I played my cards right, I might even get a special relationship to form between our empires. That however was a long term stretch goal at the moment.

Then there was Spanish Guinea which I brought as well in this treaty. The most important thing there at the moment was the cacao and coffee plantations. Those were cash crops, and I would need to rebalance the agricultural sector there to make the sector be able withstand what I knew would come in time. I might not see it but when the second world war came I needed to make sure the colonies had enough food to stand up to a blockade.

It also held true for Germany itself. Currently Germany was still a food importing nation. But the amount of food we needed to import had gone down over the last few years. That was largely since the farm bill past in 1897. The amount of food imported to Germany had fallen roughly 15% overall from the figures I had seen since 1897. It would likely go up with the phosphate mines on Nauru up and producing. How much that would add to the decrease on the needs of importing I wasn’t sure of. But If I had to guess it would be another 5 to 10% drop in the needs of the nation to import.

Long term through even in a war with the British that would be off set by the Haber process. From what I had heard BSAF had finally figured out how to make an industrialized version of the table top version that Dona came up with a few years ago. They were planning to set up a plant in Oppau to make it on the industrialized scale they now could with plans for that plant to come on line next year. That would also increase food output of the nation some more but not enough to end importing food. I was currently waiting for the blockade of France which was already being planned to take place before I pushed for further reforms in the agricultural sector here in Europe. The agricultural sector in the colonies through was easier to change and I was.

The real reason through I wanted Spanish Guinea outside the strategic position it gave me, was the oil. Yes, there was some gold and other mineral deposits there, but it was the oil I wanted. Granted I would have to invent offshore drilling to get at that oil, but given how much was there would make it worth the effort. So, the pay off wasn’t there in the near future, but this was a buy low piece of land. Then wait for technology to catch up to pay off the price I paid with interest, a lot of interest.

I hadn’t wanted the Spanish Sahara through even through the Spanish put that on the table. That land was worthless and didn’t give me shit for strategic position. So, I passed on but hinted to the Spanish that the French or British might be willing to buy it from them. They were cash strap at the moment and needed the money so they might sell to one of them. But I simply didn’t want the Spanish Sahara.

For a cost of 45 million marks going directly to Spain plus another 15 million marks credit they can spend on German goods, I thought it was a damn good deal. Now I just needed to get the money from the Reichstag to start the infrastructure and other projects needed to bring these places into the empire.

Turning the page, I turned to the fallout of the “Peace” of Vereeniging. I was asking myself how many Boer Commandos would join the French Foreign Legion at this point. That treaty was a dangerous precedent and I knew it. Then again there was a lot of anger within the Boer community at the moment and they would never accept British rule over them. That treaty was still sending shockwaves through the international community and they would be felt for a while to come.

Building Up Pt XIII

Mülhausen
Elsaß-Lothringen Elektrizitäts Power Plant
May 17 1902

Prior to be starting this tour my mind had been focused on Venezuela. I had been less than happy that Cipriano Castro had come to power in that nation back in 1899. The man was a fool in the history I knew and this world as well. When he stopped paying Venezuelan debts, I decided not to go through the blockade that happened in that world. I simply decided to use a bribe or two and get Castro removed from power.

That led to Juan Vicente Gómez overthrowing Castro a few months ago. Gómez was much more a sane leader than Castro ever was. It was also the reason Castro was now dead with Gómez ruling Venezuela. He had just inked a deal with my ambassador in Venezuela on a way forward to help pay down the Venezuelan debt along with granting a number of concessions for German and British business men in that nation. Personally, I didn’t want to bring the British along for this but they Venezuelans owed a lot of money to the British as well, so I had to bring them in. In return I did get some major rights that were just for Germans. Notably, I made sure that when oil was found in the Lake Maracaibo region of the nation it would be the German companies who get to drill for it.

Now through that was the last thing on my mind. I was touring one of the newest powerplants that was set to start operations later today. This power plant was a work of art. Unlike high school tour of the Big Bend Power Station in my past life where form follow function architecture there, this place was making a statement with its architecture design choices. I had seen turn of the century power plants before on YouTube urbex videos, but now I was seeing one in person. Those videos didn’t do those power plants justice. This place was just freaking beautiful.

Work on this power plant had been underway before this year’s bill on electrical power was passed and signed into law. It however was the first plant to come on line since the signing of that law. Germany was quickly electrifying the nation. It was a disjointed effort through, and with unemployment finally starting to creep up I decided to make a push for another round of infrastructure building. This was stream lining the effort to build power plants to power Germany for the future. It created a system where each member state of the empire would own its own power company. It however created a national system where power from one state could be moved to another.

Elsaß-Lothringen was becoming a valuable part of the empire as more people come to accept its status as a grand duchy within the empire. Even with the fact it was right next to France, it was still seeing the massive economic growth of the rest of the empire. Then again it was also seeing its defensives strength. I was giving no signs away that I knew of the French Army’s plans to come through Belgium at the moment.

Colonial Build Up Pt VI

Haikou, German Hainan
Worksite
June 28 1902

Wilhelm Hundertmark wiped the sweat away from his eyes with his handkerchief before putting back in his pocket to get back to work. It was a hot day here in Haikou and it was still a few hours before quitting time and biking home. Unlike many in the Strafbataillon he had been in, he had elected to stay here in Hainan when he had been discharged from the Strafbataillon instead of travelling to Africa. With clemency in hand, he could had travelled to any colony within the empire, but something about Hainan spoke to him. So, he had stayed.

Taking the government up on the offer they had given him he had taken a small home here in the city and found work with Hainan Linien. It was the rail company that was setting up a railroad on the island. The mainline would run to Sanya on the other end of the island. From what he knew there would be a few branch lines off the main line. The word through the grape vine was a number of iron ore deposits had been found and work was under way to turn those deposits into working mines. There were even rumors of some small gold deposits having been found during the mineral survey of the island in the after of it become a colony of the German Empire. Currently work was underway on the switching yards for the railway with another crew building the mainline.

Hundertmark when he took his job with HL, he had been one of only a few Germans they could hire. The majority of the work force of HL was natives of the island who hadn’t taken part in the revolt against German rule in the aftermath of the China War. Because of that he had picked up a few words of the local language, but he was still no where close to being able to speak it. The Chinese he worked with had liked wise picked up some German from their time working with him and the few other Germans who worked out here with the labor crews.

During his time working with them, Hundertmark had been impressed by the hard-working nature of these Chinese. They worked hard and from what he had seen they really didn’t bitch. Then again, they got paid the same as he did. Granted the German Asian Thaler wasn’t the goldmark, it still was a currency that was worth more than the paper it was printed on. They were being paid 95 Pfennigs per hour for their work. That was the minimum wage in this colony.

With his earnings plus his side business of trapping Hundertmark was fairly well off. It was even to the point he was courting one of the local women with the hope of making her his wife if things kept going well between them. Things were going that well for him since deciding to make Hainan his home. Maybe it was time to start thinking about what was next.

Naval Matters Pt I

Kiel
Naval HQ
August 3 1902

“We have confirmed that the Russians are moving the Retvizan to Port Arthur.” Kapitän zur See Friedrich von Ingenohl said as he was leading this briefing. The Retvizan had been built in Philadelphia by William Cramp & Sons.

“Are the Russians trying to start a war?” I muttered to myself at hearing this. This would give them six modern battleships based out of Port Arthur. Japan was only just commissioning it’s six battleship this year and they didn’t have any more in the pipeline. Even now the Japanese economy was straining to maintain its rapid military build up and modernization projects. With this they had a one to one ratio with Russia on battleships.

The British Pacific Squadron was based out of Singapore and wouldn’t be able to reach Japan anytime soon. The best I could offer to help them was the SMS Augusta Victoria and a couple of gunboats that were based out of Tsingtau. With the force the Russians were building up at Port Arthur that would amount to jack and shit.

“What about the Tsesarevich?” I asked. She was being built at La Seyne in France. Russia didn’t have enough shipbuilding industry in its own nation to support its naval built up so it was turning to the French and Americans to help them build up their fleet. Their ass backwards nation had the money to do it through. I needed to cut them down to size before they could get their act straight. I knew talks were ongoing for a few more cruisers to be built in the US. Given they were looking for more battleships with their past statements told me something was up.

Ingenohl looked at his notes before replying, “We believed based on what we are seeing once the Tsesarevich is commissioned next year, the Russians plan to move her to Port Arthur as well sir.”

That piece of information made me think about the status of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Russians were offering massive amounts of money to help them finish that critical piece of infrastructure. Currently everything they had moved to Port Arthur or Manchuria they already had nearby or had shipped there. From other reports I had seen they were sending some of their best officers in both the army and navy there.

For me that left only possibly two outcomes. The first the Russians believed a show of force would be enough to drive the Japanese out of Korea. I didn’t know if the Russians planned to annex Korea or just make into a puppet of theirs through. The other choice left to me was the Russians were planning to go to war. There were many questions there. Where the French supporting them? Would the French break that treaty they had with the Russians? Or would the army force its way through Belgium and possibly the Netherlands to outflank our border?

This made no sense to me through. Why would the Russians try to force a war with Japan. They had to know that any war with Japan would drag me into it as well. I had made sure of that when I signed the German-Japanese Alliance Treaty. The French had to know they would get crushed in such a war. So why were they planning on such a war? Did they fear me that much or was this just a roll of the dice to cover up for something I wasn’t seeing?

It left the question of how Japan would react to this. With the nature of our alliance treaty, they had to inform me and my government before starting any offensive war with at least two weeks’ notice. Both in the Russo-Japanese War and the Pacific War I knew Japan stuck first in an effort to level the playing field and allow them to win. It worked with the Russians, if it did need an insane amount of luck to get it to happen. With the Americans it saw them be crushed like a bug. Here through?

“What’s the status of our planning with the Royal Navy and Regia Marina for the blockade of France in the event of war?”

Currently the Ottomans wouldn’t join in the war, but I knew with a bit of greasing the wheel they would shutdown the straits and a bit more grease they would join in the war. With my navy in the Baltic that would shut down the Russian Baltic Ports as the Swedes as far as I could tell would most likely join in if things were looking well for a land grab for them. So they wouldn’t have nothing in the Baltic. Then Murmansk wasn’t a thing yet and Arkhangelsk was close for at least half the year because of ice. In the Pacific it was expected that the Royal Navy’s Pacific Squadron would reinforce the Imperial Japanese Navy to blockade the Russians with a limited role played by the German Pacific Squadron. That meant everything on the blockade hinged on cutting the French off from the world.

It was at this point Ingenohl started to outline the plans here.

Colonial Build Up Pt VII

Rotstadt[1], German South-West Africa
Schutztruppe Base
September 14 1902

The sound of the 9 cm Kanone C/73s could be heard as the officers watched on. This was only the second time that Oberleutnant Martin Padovaner’s platoon had performed a live fire training with their new guns this year. Early this year the 3. Schutztruppe’s artillery battalion was upgraded from their well and truly outdated 8 cm Kanone C/64s or the slightly less out of date 9 cm Kanone C/73s. Even through the 9 cm Kanone C/72s themselves were obsolete it was still an improvement in firepower for 3. Schutztruppe. As for the 8 cm Kanone C/64s they were now in storage in a warehouse in Windhuk.

“Most impressive.” The sole British officer and member of parliament said as he watched the men of the platoon engage in the fire training mission. He was here on part of a fact-finding mission. What the Boers did to the British in Southern Africa had left a nasty taste in their mouth. As such they had wanted to learn new ways to go about improving their army so they would never be caught that off guard again. That included improving their own native forces. Then again, the Boers should have never pushed things that far.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Churchill.” Winston Churchill had been elected in a by-election last year to the House of Commons. Churchill was a hero of both the China and Boer Wars. For bravery in the Boer War, Churchill had been presented the Victoria Cross. The Boers however left him with a reminder of that day. Churchill still had both of his legs, but needed the use of a cane to walk now because he was missing a number of pieces of muscle needed to walk. It was nothing short of a miracle he was still alive. It was only through the use of sufla drugs that saved his life. With his injuries he was medically retired from the army. Churchill through had taken up politics in his retirement and had been elected to parliament and was already creating stir there. The uniform was out of respect for what he was doing today.

“How long has it taken it you to get your natives to be this good?” Churchill asked. He knew the field guns these natives were using were outdated, but they would give a good account of themselves in battle.

“It took us a few years to get our soldiers up to these current levels.” Padovaner replied to Churchill. There was a difference between how the British and Germans viewed them. Yes, Berlin was keeping the Schutztruppe a generation behind the latest and greatest fielded by the German Army. They however were treating them just like they would any soldier in the German Army proper, well outside the fact they were teaching them to speak and read in German. Currently in the artillery battalion of 3. Schutztruppe they had a single native-born member starting the process of becoming an officer and held the rank of Fahnenjunker at the moment.

Padovaner was starting to feel at home here. His parents had moved to Windhuk. This was under a program that would bring direct family members of the officers of the Schutztruppe to the colony they were stationed in. For Padovaner this was German South-West Africa. In Windhuk his mother had found work as a teacher fairly fast. His father also had no problems finding a job as a banker. For himself he had started to court one of the native women. With the nature of the contacts that the officers of the Schutztruppe agreed to it was accepted to have such a pairing if not indirectly encouraged.

Looking at his watched Padovaner called out, “Cease Loading!” After a few missed fires high command had changed the order to stop firing artillery from cease fire to cease loading. This allowed gun crews to fire any rounds they might had loaded already to save themselves the headache of having to unload it along with keeping the round from cooking off.

[1]Tsumeb, Namibia OTL

Putting the Band Together Pt I

Stockholm
Kungliga Slottet
October 25 1902

When you’re going to a gunfight, bring all your friends with guns the saying when. I’m not sure who said it first, but I learned it from my “real” grandfather in my past life. He was a veteran who served with the 3rd Infantry Division from Naples onward to the end of the war. When I was learning of my love of history, I had a number of talks with him, and that was the only thing he would ever say about war he fought in, even if he would spend hours talking about history other than that war. Having been through war now I understood why he was that way.

I however understood that Europe was far too primed for a general war to try and stop it. This had been something I had believed since I became Wilhelm back in 1888. I still believed it. What through was surprising me was how aggressive both the French and Russians were being. I thought an alliance with the British would allow me to pick the time and place to start a war. Both the Russians and French were going nope to that idea. The Russians were looking to start a war with the Japanese over who had the right to control Korea. The French were looking to go through Belgium and now I was seeing intelligence they might be expanding to include the Netherlands to outflank me as it seemed even the French High Command knew in a straight up between our nations they would lose now.

The latter I was keeping close to the vest at the moment. The British in their high-level general staff talks had made it clear I couldn’t pull Schlieffen Plan as I knew it and keep the British alliance. They viewed that as something that would break the treaty of alliance between our nations. So, I wasn’t informing the British of that piece of information at the moment. Then depending on how the Belgium government reacted to Leopold’s choice to work with the French Army would affect how I handle that information and use it for my gain.

Right now, though I was in Sweden-Norway. How much longer it would be that I didn’t know. There was a widening gap between Stockholm and Oslo at the moment that was getting wider by the day. A gap that was so wide I didn’t think it could be bridged at the moment. I knew if I got Oscar the Second and his government to agree what I was coming here to sell it most likely would divide the union for good. So, I was including that in my pitch. Event through the German Empire would have disagreements and competing interests with the Swedish over the Baltic, I could live with that. The Russians I wanted to cripple to the point they couldn’t threaten my empire again. The Swedish would never be a threat to me even with parts of Finland and the Kola Peninsula. Whereas the Russians could be a major threat to me for a long time to come if I didn’t break them and hard.

Oscar and the various Swedish cabinet ministers I spoke to seem to understand the stakes of what was happening. They knew if the Russians defeated both me and the British, they were next. The fact I was also offering up pieces of Russia to them was helping this effort. The main sticking point through was the fate of Finland south of the Kemijoki River. I was giving them Kemi which was south of the Kemijoki because of it was a deep water port and would be easy to figure out a border for. Plus if I my memory was correct this would give them the nickel mines near Petsamo. With some hard work I could get a railway to Kemi from Petsamo to help feed my industries in the war after the one I was currently planning. It was why Kemi was so easy to give to the Swedes.

The only other place I was offering up south of the Kemijoki was the Aland Islands. Those islands had a population of Swedish people so I didn’t see why I should keep it from them even if it gave them a great natural choke point for the Gulf of Bothnia. The Swedes through wanted the border to be moved to the Oulujoki with Oulu and some of the territory around there. I didn’t really have a problem with that and was more than willing to give it to them. The problem I had was the fate of the rest of Finland.

I wanted any new Kingdom of Finland to be something of a joint kingdom between Sweden and Germany. We each would have each influence over it. I was putting forward one of the sons of Ernest Augustus in effort to smooth over the relations with the House of Hannover in Germany. The Swedish through wanted Finland as their play thing and wanted Prince Oscar Bernadotte to rule it. Right now, I was trying to use the Swedish territorial aims to secure what I wanted to do in Finland.

What I really needed through was five or six more years of peace to get ready for this war. The problem was I didn’t think I would get it. If I was lucky, I would get two maybe three from the way I was reading the tea leaves at the moment.

Movie Night Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Student Dormitory of Campus (Redacted)
April 13 2020

Even through the students taking part in the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm were performing the course load that was expected of them in any Gymnasium within the Empire, they were mostly treated like students attending university. The most noticeable difference was the fact these students couldn’t take part in Mensur. They however had Student Corps and other Studentenverbindung that various students could take part in when they were not in class.

Louis was putting on the couleur of the Student Corp here for the AS program at (Redacted). This was made up of a cap and sash that were the colors of the Korp here. The colors on the sash were copper, black, and white. The cap was the same mix of colors but the copper color making up the majority of the cap. The Korp here got together a few times a week to talk various topics or to have fun. Today it was a movie night which was held every other week.

Once his colors were on Louis started to the part of the dorms that housed the movie theater of the dorms. As he walked down the stairs Louis could see other members of the Korp walking to the movie theater as well. All told there were about 90 members of the Korp here. Most of the Caesar and Dora students were members of one of the various student groups, with the Korp being the largest group here, which was true of German universities.

Louis took next to Jim, “Jim you know what movie is playing today?” Louis knew Jim was friends with Juan who was the president of the Korp. That friendship had formed when Jim had been in the current Dora class before he tore his ACL on the basketball court. Even through they weren’t still in the same class anymore they still talked on a regular basis.

“Yep. Juan told me it would The Gathering Storm.”

“Really? How did he managed to get a hold of that movie?” The Gathering Storm was a movie that was money favorite to sweep the Lola Awards next year and had already cleared 300 million marks at the box office so far and it was still doing well in theaters. The war drama was praised not only for its historical accuracy of the lead up to the First World War along with the opening days of that war but also the drama it creates in it. Granted even with its two and half hour run time it couldn’t get everything perfect but many historians praised the film for what it did.

“Honestly I don’t know how he managed to get it. Frankly I don’t care through. I heard nothing but good things about this movie and have been wanting to watch it.” Jim replied.

Louis for his part couldn’t agree more. The Gathering Storm was getting praise from most movie critics on the internet no matter where they were based out of. Which was rare given one of the three main characters of the story was Wilhelm the Second. Wilhelm the Second or Great in Germany was someone who was divisive person around the world. With him there was little to no middle ground on where you stood on Wilhelm. You either thought he was a visionary with a plan to turn the world into a better place. Or you viewed Wilhelm as the devil incarnate. While the latter opinions were starting to soften in some nations whereas in others you would have to move heaven and earth to change people’s mind that Wilhelm wasn’t the devil incarnate. In other parts of the world Wilhelm could do no wrong. Then again Hans Gruber’s performance as Wilhelm was getting nothing but praise for his efforts to so how complex Wilhelm was.

Juan the president of the Korp cracked the billiard cue against the table at the front of the movie theater to get everyone’s attention. Juan himself was the one of a few students that came from Mexico. “Fellow members of (Redacted) Korp. I have a treat for us tonight! Tonight, we get watch the movie we have all been wanting to watch, The Gathering Storm!”

There were cheers from the members of the Korp at that news. It took Juan cracking the cue again to get them to quiet down. “Without further ado, I give you The Gathering Storm.”

Moments later the room darken as the laser projector started to play the movie in 16k resolution. It wasn’t the newest 32k resolution that had come out in the last few years, but the 16k laser projector still gave a crisp and clean picture.

The movie started off with Wilhelm returning from Stockholm after signing the German-Swedish Alliance of 1902 to speak with his son the crown prince and later Wilhelm the Third. This meeting quickly became heated when Wilhelm the elder informed his son that as part of this alliance he was to marry Maria Bernadotte the oldest daughter Prince Oscar Bernadotte of Sweden. Given Maria was only 13 at the time and the Crown Prince 20 meant that there would be a noticeable wait for the marriage. When the crown prince stormed off you could see Wilhelm break down into tears. It was honestly a moving piece of the movie.

After this the movie cut to London where it showed the second of the three main characters. This was Edward VII of the British Empire. Here he was speaking with future prime minister Edward Grey. Grey at the time of this was a backbencher with the Liberal Party which was out of power. Arthur Balfour had just become prime minister after the retirement Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury who had left the job for health reasons.

This wasn’t even close to what happened here. Grey wasn’t even in the shadow government Henry Campbell-Bannerman who was leading the Liberal Party at this time. Yet the movie was covering a fair bit of time here and had to compress things and fold multiple historical characters into a single character. Given Grey was as well known as he was the director of the movie had decided to use him for this part of the movie. Yet this part of the movie was used to show there was a small sector of the British government that was against Germany even though they were officially allies. Granted it wasn’t a perfect set up and a number of historians had pointed that out, but it had been done in such a way they admitted they understood why the movie did this.

Finally, the movie brought those watching to the third main character of the movie. This was Ingrid Becker. She was a purely fictional character. She was a wife and young mother of a family that was entering the middle class of Germany. She was there to tie the ongoing events of the world from a common point of view.

Over the next 90 minutes the movie was covering the lead up to the First World War. Then came the opening stages of the war itself. You saw all three of the main characters act in various ways as the war starts. Then came the closing shot of the movie, the only time all three main characters are together. Ingrid is now a grieving widow having lost her husband on the Western Front where he was a hero for his actions that cost him his life. Wilhelm is presenting Ingrid with her husband’s Black Max. You could see Wilhelm having emotions as he does this. Edward who is standing next to him had a face of stone.

1902 Year in Review

Domestic

Electricity Production Act of 1902

This act is design to bring power to all of European Germany along with power to the major cities within the colonies. Priority through is given to European Germany. Further it declares electricity a public utility and places all power plants and power grids under government ownership of their respected kingdom, grand duchy, etc. It also creates a system so these government owned systems can support one another along with basic guidelines so the German power gird would be interconnected.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Vereeniging

- A limited amnesty would be handed out to all Boer Kommandos if they accepted the below terms.

- The British government shall pay a 2,000 Pounds Sterling for all property held pre-1898 by Boer Kommandos and their families. This property shall become the property of the royal government to deal with as its seen fit.

- The British government shall give free passage to all Boer Kommandos and their families to destination that is outside of the British Empire. This shall happen within 18 months at the latest after the signing of this treaty.

- The British government shall forthwith bring food to Boer Kommandos. In return Boer Kommandos are to surrender all weapons with the first shipment of food delivered to them.

- The British government shall forthwith bring more food to the camps holding Boer families as well with improving the conditions of the camps till those in the camps can travel. This shall be maintained till the camps are shut down.

- The governments of Transvaal and the Orange Free State are hereby dissolved. The duties of government in these areas shall be taken over by the newly formed Transvaal Colony and Orange River Colony respectfully.

- Failure of any Boer Kommando to accept the above terms will have their limited amnesty become void and treated as a rebel against the British Empire.

- Further any Boer Kommando who steps foot on soil of the British Empire after leaving Southern Africa shall have their limited amnesty revoke and face trial for their actions in this war.

- Boers who did not take up arms against the British Government shall be allowed to remain as long as they take an oath of allegiance to the British Crown.

Spanish-German Treaty of 1902

The German Government for direct payment of 45 million marks and a credit to spend within the German Empire of 15 million marks the Spanish government shall hand over control of the below colonies to the German Government six months after the ratification of this treaty. The Caroline Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and Spanish Guinea are the colonies to be handed over.

German-Swedish Treaty of 1902

This is a defensive treaty between the two powers. It also sets up a marriage between Crown Prince Wilhelm and Maria Bernadotte the eldest daughter of Prince Oscar Bernadotte. The wedding is to take place in 1908 given Maria at the signing of this treaty was 13 years of age. In a secret part of the treaty, it covers the spoils of war to be given to Sweden and the nature of a Kingdom of Finland and the relationship of said kingdom with both Germany and Sweden.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Excellent

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Good

Austria-Hungary

It’s Complicated

Russia

Ice Cold

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Pistole 02

Mass: .99 kg (Unloaded)
Length: 205 mm
Barrel Length: 120 mm
Cartridge: 9 mm Para
Action: Recoil Operated, Closed Bolt
Feed System: 8 round box magazine

Gewehr 02

Mass: 4.15 kg
Length: 1,075 mm
Barrel Length: 595 mm
Cartridge: 7 mm Mauser
Action: Gas-Operated, Rotating Bolt
Feed System: 10 round internal box magazine fed by duel 5 round stripper clips

8 cm Infanteriemörser 02

Mass: 48.1 kg
Crew: 3
Caliber: 81 mm
Effective Firing Range: up to 690 meters
Maximum Firing Range: up to 800 meters
Rate of Fire: 6 to 8 RPM (Sustained), 25 RPM (Burst)

Scharnhorst Class Armored Cruisers

16,000 tons Standard Load, 12 x 21 cm L/45s in Twins(2 center line, 4 wing turrets), 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 24 kts

2 Ordered

Z13 Class Destroyers

500 tons Standard Load, 2 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor

12 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

Family Problems 1903

Berlin
Konzerthaus Berlin
January 16 1903

I was still upset with Wilhelm. How could he do that to our child? Even if we hadn’t been the ones to make him who gave him that right? What gave him the right to give our son’s hand in marriage away to secure an alliance? To a minor no less? That night he had informed me of it was the first time I had ever thought about making Wilhelm sleep in a different room than I as I was so pissed with him.

Wilhelm knew I was still pissed with him. The reason I knew he was still pissed was the fact flowers were showing up in my office every morning with a note from Wilhelm telling me he loved me. Before now that was something that would only happen on birthdays, anniversaries, or when he was friskier than normal. Now through he was doing daily. Well at least he knew and was trying to make amends for what he did.

I also expected that the moving on women’s suffrage, limited through it maybe, by the Reichstag was also being caused by Wilhelm. That I couldn’t prove through but I believed that he was behind the amendment that would allow some women to vote in all elections. It was far short of the full franchise that I wanted, but it was better than nothing. The voting age for women via this amendment would be the age of 30. Noble women no matter what would be allowed to vote at that age. Non-noble women would other requirements they would have to meet to be able to vote. These being either a college graduate, married, or a widow as well-being 30 years of age.

That was well short of what I wanted. The problem that was that was as far as some political parties support at the moment. I knew because of that there would have to be another amendment to the constitution to remove the qualifiers and lower the age limit. Still, it was better than nothing. You had to take the small victories I guess.

In my own works I had just published a paper on pH to advance science further. After cracking the Haber Process, I decided to work on some smaller items instead of going all out on one big one like I had with the Haber Process. The potential of hydrogen would be key to future chemistry and needed to take things future. So I did the math and science needed to get the pH scale out there and allowed people to use it. With that behind me I was debating what to do next.

At the moment through I was going to enjoy the play Hannele.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 23 1903

I knew going in to the talks with the Swedish that this outcome was all but baked in at this point. It would create problems down the road, but it would have to be done just to allow me to get to the next stage. So, one problem at the time now. Currently that problem was my neighboring empire in Russia. I knew damn well I couldn’t deal with Albion till dealt with Russia first. I was hoping I would put the Russians down enough that I would have a large enough buffer in the east that I wouldn’t have to worry about the Russians blitzing to Berlin.

When we were setting up the alliance treaty with the Swedish, it had made it clear that the German Empire wouldn’t get into the middle of domestic issues in the Sweden-Norway Kingdom. Well, it wasn’t worded like that, but still I expected the Norwegians to not take kindly to this alliance. Then again there had been a growing moving within Norway prior to this for independence. This was just Oslo using this as the needed pretext to force the issue.

My hunch from the time in Stockholm was the Swedes didn’t really want to fight this out in a full-on war. So, they basically said they would accept only accept the end to the union via referendum largely as a face-saving measure. Had this been the 21st century and I saw those kinds of numbers I would be thinking that it was a rigged referendum. Out of just over the 360,000 votes casted yesterday, only 150 or so were against breaking the union of Sweden and Norway. Hell, there were more blank or invalid votes than the ones that voted no. It was the kind of vote that should never happen, but it did. This was something that would likely never happen again and be legit like this was.

Long term I knew any government in Norway would be pro-British. There was no way they would be anything else. There in lie my current problem of the future. The alliance with Sweden was temporary as we were uniting against a common foe. Once Russia was defeated Stockholm would have too many issues with my own nation over the Baltic. Although they would never be a direct threat like Russia, an invasion there just wasn’t worth it. Norway on the other hand, that was a whole different can of worms.

So, I was trying to figure out how to get a German prince on the throne in Norway in an effort to have some recourse when the time came for my own variant of the invasion of Norway. Currently we were still depended on Swedish iron ore. The mines in Hainan weren’t ready to export here yet plus if things worked out in the Pacific like I was hoping they would be supporting the Japanese war industry in any second war as they would be cut off from getting back here to Europe. My African holdings were rich in other resources, but iron not so much. Most of those iron deposits wouldn’t turn a profit currently so they weren’t being developed at the moment. Which I was thankful for. I had plans for those deposits when the time came for them.

After a few minutes of racking my mind for an answer I wrote down a few ideas and made a note to see if any of them would be open to being king in Norway. I knew talks to finalize would be in a few weeks so I hopefully could get one of these princes to take up the duty. Then I turned to other issues taking on in the foreign affairs world. The French were up to something in Bulgaria, or what passed for Bulgaria at the moment.

The Balkans at the moment was quiet, too quiet if I thought about it. Serbia and Montenegro were both tied to Russia. Bulgaria wasn’t even its own country at the moment as it was an autonomous state within the Ottoman Empire. I knew that couldn’t last much longer, and I think the French were looking for allies after the Greeks shot their offers down. The Greeks might be crazy brave, but they weren’t stupid which had surprised me. Then again, I knew the moment all the foreign troops left Crete in the next war they would take the chance to form a union with Crete for all the mess that would create.

All that was left was the Romanians. Then again with me they knew Bessarabia would be theirs. I knew they had a shit ton of claims against the corpse that was Austria-Hungary. I however was betting with the fact the British were my allies they would honor the call of the alliance and I will had force the Russians in a front from the Black Sea to the Arctic Circle along with a front in Asia. I however didn’t want to bring the Ottomans end as at the moment I viewed them more as liability than anything else at the moment. Even with Goltz doing his own thing with the Ottoman Empire, that army didn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. It was why I wasn’t planning on expanding that war into the Caucasus.

Outside that the only other nation that might matter was the United States. While I wouldn’t be surprised if there were still a few in the US who wanted Canada, I didn’t think anyone in Washington would be that crazy to try it unless the British were looking like they were about to fall. Everyone else just wasn’t in a position to make a damn. So, the only thing I could think of was the French were shopping for allies in Bulgaria. The only question what the hell did the French Bulgaria would do for them?

Domestic Issues Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 4 1903

“You are such a policy wonk at times its not funny.” Dona said to me smiling. We had finally put aside our differences on the fact I had set up an arranged marriage for Junior. Even when we were first learning about each other we never had a fight like that. It took some time to heal those wounds, but we had moved on with them.

I simply laughed in agreement before speaking. “Guilty as charge dear.” I was reading up on a growing crisis that I was trying to get ahead of now. This was the lack of affordable and quality housing for people within Germany. Germany was urbanizing fairly quickly and with the hot economy houses were becoming the new hot commodity with prices rising on them. I wanted a strong stable middle class as that would allow a lot of what I wanted long term to happen.

There however wasn’t as much literature on the subject as I would had liked. Currently the book I was reading was on the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1885 and its follow-ons the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1890 with the few other smaller acts that came after the 1890 one. This was a fairly new book given how recent these acts had been passed in the UK. Yet, given how little literature there was I was reading it for ideas. Then in a few days I would meet with people who were smarter than me on the subject for a brain storming section to get ideas flowing.

“What are your plans to deal with this?” Dona asked me playfully.

“Honestly, I don’t have the foggy idea at the moment.”

That got Dona to cock her head sideways, “That’s not like you.”

“This takes me outside my knowledge zones, so I have to learn about the subject first before I can go about tackling it dear. The only thing I know for sure is I want to keep from having to deal with the hell that are suburbs.” With me I always wanted to learn about a subject before I tried to do anything with it if I didn’t know anything about it. With public housing I knew diddly about it. So I was reading up on to get an idea how to fix these problems before they became worse.

“At least you know when to get help.” She said as she walked around my desk. She then sat down in my lap, “But it’s time to get ready for dinner. Remember we have guests tonight.”

“Yes dear.” I said before kissing her.

We were meeting with Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg and his wife. This was to deal with the offer they had received from the Norwegians to be their new king. The man had already been a regent once and had prove to be populator with the people of Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The only things I could ding him for was his age as he was a few years older than myself and being childless. The problem was there was slim pickings at the moment within the German Empire for royal men of age and who would do a good job ruling a nation. There were a few Catholics that would be good but they wouldn’t work in Norway. The thing about Germany right now we had more than enough princesses but not enough princes.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt III

Between Frankfurt and Stuttgart
Royal Train
May 18 1903

I knew that the current Reichstag wouldn’t be voting on a housing bill. Their session was nearing an end and when I return to Berlin, I would be dissolved the Reichstag for new elections. It’s been about five years since they last stood for election so it was time to do it again. Given everything I was seeing I was expecting that the SPD and their allied parties to gain an outright majority this time around. This would be something different from the coalition governments of the past two Reichstag sessions. Even then the SPD and their allied parties would have to work with the Bundesrat to get an act to me to sign.

Even knowing the current Reichstag couldn’t do anything, I had decided to signal where I stood on the issue. I was doing a royal tour of the major cities of the empire to see how the growing housing crisis was affecting them. During these visits I would be spending several days to a week in each city. I would tour the slums and other areas that were the hardest hit by the lacking of housing. I would also perform for a lack of better words focus group meetings with the people who were affected by this crisis. All while doing this I would have one of my aides taking notes.

At the end of the day, I would work with those aides going through those notes. Things would go into a master file to help shape the housing bill that the SPD would draft. Common problems would be the things I would be focusing on. All that said I knew I was driving all the Bürgermeisters in the cities I was visiting up the bloody walls. I wanted to see their cities at their worse, which they didn’t want to show me. Then again it was the only way to fix the problems Germany was facing.

Before I had left Berlin, I had met with a few well-known architects and city planners to talk about what I wanted to help end the growing housing crisis. I wanted something that was no more than six stories tall. The apartments themselves were to have their own bathrooms and kitchens along with a separate bedroom. They were all to have running water, electrical hook ups, and central heating. I further wanted these areas to have shops and easy access to public transport and schools. I knew this was a big ask at the moment, but frankly this was go big or go home.

As I listened to the clickety clack of the train moving down the tracks my mind wasn’t on the housing crisis. I already had a good idea how badly this needed to be done from the cities I had visited so far. No, my thoughts were on the question of religion and what god people worship. Personally, I didn’t give a damn what god people worship. Prior to becoming Wilhelm, I was Agnostic. I didn’t know if there was or wasn’t a god as it was simply beyond the ability of us morals to prove or this prove.

Now I would say there was clearly a higher power that was divine in a nature after everything I when through. Which religion this divine power belonged to through, I didn’t have the foggiest idea. Dona and I had a number of long talks on this subject and they all led to dead ends. We simply didn’t have enough to go on expect two possibly three bloody miracles. The first two were me and Dona ended up here because we both should be dead. No ifs ands or buts, we should had been dead. Instead, we were now ruling Germany. The possible third miracle was Dona giving birth to our final set of kids. The Kaiser Quad as everyone called them. Dona and possibly one or more of them should had died when she gave birth to them. Yet they all lived, and they were all healthy. If that wasn’t a miracle, I didn’t know what was.

The 1893 Constitution didn’t have a bill of rights like the US Constitution did. That meant no freedom of religion. I had been working to stamp out Antisemitism here in Germany, and personally I was thinking I was doing a fairly good job of making it clear there was no place here for in Germany. Zionism however was still taking off. The whole mess and fall out from the Dreyfus affair really spooked the Jewish population of Europe. Even with my efforts to knock out Antisemitism there was a growing moving for a Jewish nation.

No way in hell would I ever support a Jewish state in Palestine. I saw what that can of worms could bring and I wanted nothing to do with it. Plus, I wanted the Ottoman Turks to have control of Islam, and not allow Wahhabism to take control of that faith. A Jewish state in Palestine would destabilize the Ottomans too much to deal with, and I sure as shit didn’t want to deal with the clean up of that. Or leave it for those that follow after me.

I wasn’t even crazy about the whole Uganda Scheme that was being floated right now in Basel. I didn’t know if that was going to pass or not through. Long term the Zionist would keep looking for a way to find a nation to call home, if that scheme was to fall through. I knew it had in the world I had come from, but here it might work. Then again, I wasn’t counting on it working.

The dilemma I faced was simple. I knew there was a higher divine power. I couldn’t deny that now. Did this being want me to find peace between various religions? Or did it want me create a state for the Jewish population, and deal with the aftermath. It was a vexing question to put it simply. I was leaning to creating a freedom of religion amendment for the 1893 Constitution. Well better shaped to keep the drifters and cons from high jacking religion to get rich, but create a lasting peace between the various religions. Yet there was a nagging in the back of my head that was to right all the wrongs which meant a Jewish home state. Sometimes I wish God or this higher divine power would speak to me so I could know what do to.

First Contact Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
June 30 1903

Today was an important first for my oldest and his future wife. This was the first time they were meeting, yes she was too young to be wed at the moment. They however had to get to know each other before they tied the knot and have children. If junior’s libido was anything like his trail of women said it was, I knew there would be a host of grandchildren in our future from him and his wife.

Currently we weren’t grandparents nor expecting to welcome grandchildren into our lives. When Eitel and Lizi returned from their honeymoon with smiles on their faces that couldn’t be knocked off with 2 x 4s hitting them up side their heads we had expected to be seeing a honeymoon baby. To our surprise Lizi had never shown any signs of becoming one with child since returning from their honeymoon over a year ago. Dona and I just figure with their lives being so new they had decided to hold off on having children for the time being. Frankly we were both happy with this as neither of us were ready to be grandparents yet.

Relations with Junior had stabilized in the aftermath of informing him of this arranged marriage. Mainly I had pulled back the extra security I had given him in the aftermath of Dona finding him with a woman who was on our staff. I told him take a mistress but for the love of all that was holy don’t put a baby into her. Keep it to a single mistress and have no bastards I told him and I would look the other way. Dona wasn’t too happy with that agreement but with the number of marks on his bedpost, I didn’t see a better path forward than keeping him under lock and key for another five years.

I watched as Junior met his future wife for the first time. This was just outright odd for everyone here and it was showing. Then one of my aide-de-camps came up to me and whispered something in my ear.

My eyes blinked rapidly a few times listening to what the officer was saying. Then I leaned over to Dona and whispered to her, “Something’s come up that needs my attention dear.”

She gave me a worry look on her face as she pulled back. Everyone else in the room noticed me getting up from my chair and leaving the room. The air changed within a moment and everyone could fill it.

Death of a Crown Prince

London
Westminster Hall
August 10 1903

The current pulse of the British Empire was something I had never seen before. The closest I had ever seen this in either life was in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Even then I don’t think the rigorous anger of those attacks were as palatable at this fury coming from the people here. Sadly, like on that day those towers came down in New York City, there was no nation state to blame for this. This had been carried out by stateless people with nothing left to lose and had their hearts filled with hate and rage.

Black was draping Westminster, indeed all of London if not the empire itself. All for the family who were lying in state here. Crown Prince Albert Victor, his wife Mary of Teck, and their only child all were here. Eddy’s coffin was a close casket given what happened to him. Not even the best undertaker could to anything with what the Boer did to him. To put it simply it was brutal and unforgivable. Eddy’s family weren’t the only ones who had died in that attack. Two officers of the Metropolitan Police that were escorting the family died in the attack. A further five bystanders died in that attack alone. Not counting the seven others that had died in the two bombings that happened on the same day. It had been a blood bath.

As far as it was currently known all the attackers who took part in this attack took their own lives if they hadn’t been killed by other Metropolitan Police officers who were rushing to the area in the aftermath of this attack. They knew they would be going to the gallows for this and decided to end it on their own terms. For this through it wouldn’t had surprised me if the British brought out of retirement being hanged, drawn and quartered for this even through that had been taken off the books in 1870.

The whole of the Grenadier Guards was here as well standing guard. Security was tight was hell, and wouldn’t had been out of place for the 21st century. Now through it felt like something foreign. Even more so with the fact you had monarchs from a number of different nations all in the same place paying their respects to the fallen royal even if most of didn’t even like him. This was the kind of thing that wouldn’t be allowed to stand, but the question was what could be done.

What we did know through was this had been done by a group of Boers Kommandos who had travelled to Argentina after taking their money for their land in the aftermath of the end of the Boer War. Then from there it seemed they had worked their way to London where they had attacked Eddy and his family who were on their way to perform a public event that was expected of the British Crown Prince and his family. Using semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, and sticks of dynamite had attacked the Crown Prince and his family. It had been deadly.

I even didn’t have any good answers to deal with this clusterfuck. The only I knew for sure there would be hell to pay for this.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVIII

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 29 1903

“Cheeky bastard.” I said as I listened to a brief about what the hell was happening in China. Or better put the remains of China. The Qing Dynasty had collapsed earlier this summer, right after it made its yearly indemnity payments to the members of the alliance that had defeated in the China War. Currently it was free for all in China with at least six major groups all claiming to be the legitimate government of China. That wasn’t counting the minor factions that were in the mix. Still, I was surprised the Qing Dynasty limped this far along before falling apart.

The British for their part had their eyes off China at the moment. They were more focus on being the wrath of god for the Boers at the moment. There was heavy pressure being laid by the British government being placed on various South American nations that had taken in Boers in the aftermath of that war to keep their new Boer resistances in order. The British wanted heads on pikes was the best way to put it and they wanted them now not tomorrow. The wives of those men who had assassinated Eddy and his family had been turned over to the British already. Well, those that had lived as two had taken their own lives before they could be arrested. Both of those women had already lived through British concentration camps.

For everyone else they were eying up what they could grab from China at this point. I know because I had plans to take the whole of the Shandong Peninsula at this point being worked on. Those plans were being refined at the moment along working out where the border would be and how much would be needed to hold down the Peninsula for the foreseeable future. Plus, I was looking for a reason to make such a move which I didn’t have at the moment instead of it being a plain land grab move. I had thought about grabbing all of Shandong, but had decided against it. It might be a rich province but given my commitments in Africa and elsewhere it might be a harder sell than just the Shandong Peninsula to the Reichstag to get done what needed to be done. The Peninsula through was still a very nice prize.

Japan was prepping the same kind of work in the Hokkien Province from their talks with my government. I was picking up the same kind of feeling from the Italians only they would be going after Chekiang Province. The French were making moves to take the Kwanghsi Province from what we were seeing as well. The problem was the Japanese were more worried about the Russians in Manchuria right now and they were still growing their economy and military so they might not have the forces to go in and do it along with maintaining their current positions facing off against the Russians. The Italians like myself had logistical problems to overcome. Then again, I didn’t know if the Italians would wait for a reason to move in China. The French were in a better position to do it, but were holding back at the moment as they didn’t want to make it a clear as day land grab like I was.

As for the Russians, they just when ahead and did it. These reports were a few weeks old now but the Russians had just occupied the rest of Inner Mongolia. They however had to be on a tight logistical tight rope as that was a lot of the Gobi Desert. I knew they were paying out the ass for railroads to be built in Manchuria but still the logistics needed to control Inner Mongolia from where they were had to be fucking awful. I honestly wonder what else the Russians were planning to do in China.

Then again, the hits had been coming for the last few months. Girolamo Maria Gotti had become Pope Benedict XV earlier this month. Mariano Rampolla had been vetoed by the Austrians, who gave the order to veto Rampolla I didn’t know. From the reports I had seen Franz Joseph while alive he was so unwell; he didn’t know who he was most days. Still a regent prince hadn’t been declared. I think that had a lot to do with the Hungarians as they were scared of what Franz Ferdinand would do to them. Part of me just wished that house of cards would come down at this point so I could take my winnings and move on.

“Do we have any signs that the Russians are going to move deeper into China than what we are seeing at the moment?” I asked.

“At the moment no. The Russians however had been very keen on expanding in Asia at the moment. So at a later date, its possible.” My briefer said.

“Very well you are dismissed.” I said after having listened to the outline of what was happening in China.

“Yes sir.” He replied. As he left part of me was wondering would a new war break out over some damn full thing in China now given the tender box China was now.

Naval Matters Pt II

London
Old Admiralty Building
November 3 1903

“This is a clean break for the Germans on their capital ship design with this new class.” Captain Reginald Bacon said while looking at the information published by the Germans in regards to their two new battleships they were laying down this year.

Second Sea Lord Admiral John “Jacky” Fisher and likely to be First Sea Lord of the Admiralty next year was being given a briefing of the various building programs of nations on the continent as well as the United States and Japan. The United States could build their own battleships. Japan was working to that goal, but they had just ordered another pair of battleships from British yards as their own yards couldn’t build capital ships at the moment. They both however were the only fleets with major capital ship formations that had to be accounted for when projecting what the Royal Navy would do next. South America had largely quiet down following the Pacts of May that ended the formal arms race between Chile and Argentina and didn’t need to be factor into future plans at the moment.

The line drawing of the new German class of battleships as it would be shown in the Brassey's Naval Annual was on the board at the moment. “It seems the Kaiser love for new technology has made it into the navy which is worrying.” Fisher said studying the drawings. These ships would hold a number of advances over the current King Edward VII’s class of battleships that were being built in various British yards.

Kaiser Wilhelm was known by everyone as someone who truly loved new technology and was pushing it to be accepted into various walks of life. The effects that were having on the military world was telling. The amount of brown pants needed when the army found out last year that the Germans were fielding a self-loading rifle that was to replace almost all of the bolt-action rifles was the stuff that in other cultures would be carried on in song for generations.

These new ships were large, pushing almost 19,500 tons displacement. They were armed with new high velocity 30.5 cm main guns. While the 8.8 cm guns remained in various castmate mounts, the new 24 cm guns that were equipping this class was something else. There was a dozen of them in six twin mounts down the sides of the ship with three on each side. It was a clean break to past German capital ship design.

It however was the powerplant that was the most worrying. With the reported almost 26,000 shaft horsepower those steam turbines could drive these ships along at 21 kts. At that speed these ships could dictate the range of the battle between battleships or choose not to engage if they didn’t like the odds. Put together with those new high velocity guns and far more flexible secondary battery engagement zones meant one on one any ship in the world would loose and badly to these ships.

With the Germans only building two of these ships through; there was the possibly to overwhelm them through pure numbers. Through while a great class of ships they couldn’t fire at everyone at once. But with the speed edge they could simply decline any engagement unless a brilliantly planned and executed action took them on.

“These ships will set the new standard for battleships.” Fisher said.

“Yes sir. But at least they aren’t ordering four of these like the Frogs are with their new battleships.” Bacon replied. The Russians had ordered another pair of battleships this year with rumors going around they were looking at ordering another pair next year to a modified design or may a whole new class all together.

“Still, we are going to need to come up with something to counter this so the Germans don’t allow it to go to their heads.” Fisher said already thinking about what could be done to build a better battleship.

A Game is Afoot Pt I

Paris
French Army Headquarters, Intelligence Section
December 15 1903

“What is Fritz going to come up with next!” Said the commandant who was the senior French intelligence officer in the room. You could hear the strain in his voice. This man was tasked with undercovering the secrets of the German Army along with others in the intelligence section of the French Army.

The China War had been a rude wake up call for the French Army. They had watched the German Army not only take the lead in that war but so daring and skill in their operations in the Chinese along with new tactics and doctrine. This had caught the French flat footed and they were trying to recover, but with every year the Germans seemed to be pulling a new rabbit out of their hat. Only these rabbits would be deadly in the first degree to those at the other end of these weapons.

Last year the Germans had shocked the world like the French had in 1888 with the Lebel Rifle. Only the German rifle had been a self-loader that allowed an unmatched rate of fire soldier for soldier. The French learned of this project for a self-loading rifle long before it entered field trials. This had sparked an increase effort by the French to build their own self-loading rifle. So far both men in this room those efforts had led to nothing but frustrations and empty bottles of wine and cognac. They knew that high command had finally allowed work to start on a new caliber as the Lebel round was unsuited for self-loading rifles. This was on intelligence that the British were doing the same in their own efforts to match the Germans in rifle technology.

“I don’t know how we missed this through. We known the Germans had been adding flamethrowers to their fixed fortifications for years now. Yet they come out and fielded a flamethrower that can be carried by a single man. What’s next? Flying artillery?” Came as something of a joke from a junior officer.

Life of French military intelligence officers were challenging. Politicians were demanding answers to these new Wunderwaffen, as was the public. The problem was that here they were running into issues on getting sources into the plans making them. Granted they had some small victories. The last of these small victory in this game of cat and mouse for the French had been when they had gotten their hands on plans for the plant the Germans had built to produce artificial ammonia. It hadn’t allowed them to match the new host of German weapons, but it had allowed them to removed some of the threat of the blockade of the British. The first plant in Toulouse was set to come on line spring next year. They had also shared this intelligence coup with their Russian allies who were building their own plants around Moscow. Still the Politicians and public wanted answers on where the Germans were coming up with these new Wunderwaffen, like this flamethrower that could be carried into combat by a single sapper.

There had only been a single major victory for French military intelligence. They had managed to get an agent who worked for the Großer Generalstab on their payroll. He couldn’t shed any light on the host of new Wunderwaffen being designed by the Germans. What he did through was level the playing field for the French and their Russian allies together with other moves their diplomatic corp had scored. He gave them information on German battleplans which they believed would allow them to defeat the Germans in battle enough to force the Germans to return the lost provinces before the gap in firepower could turn the tide against the French.

1903 Year in Review

Domestic

The 1893 Constitution saw another amendment signed on to it. This granted all women of noble birth the right to vote as soon as they reach the age of 30 with no other needs. For non-noble women they could vote if they had married or graduated from University when they had turned 30. Widows were also granted the right to vote.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Excellent

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Improving

Austria-Hungary

It’s Complicated

Russia

Ice Cold

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Scharfschützengewehr 03

Mass: 4.4 kg
Length: 1,110 mm
Barrel Length: 600 mm
Cartridge: 7 mm Mauser, Sniper Variant
Action: Bolt Action
Feed System: 5 round detachable box magazine
Sights: 3 x power telescoped sights
Note: Issue only to soldiers who had finished and passed sniper school

Maschinengewehr 03

Mass: 9.2 kg
Length: 1,180 mm
Barrel Length: 600 mm
Cartridge: 7 Mauser
Action: Gas-Operated
Rate of Fire: 400 rpm
Feed System: 20 round box magazines

Handgranate 03

Mass: 600 grams
Length: 370 mm
Filling: High Explosive
Detonation Mechanism: Friction Igniter, 5 second delay

Flammenwerfer 03

Mass: 30 kg
Number of Igniters: 10
Max Range: 35 meters
Note: Issued only to pioneers.

7.5 cm Gebirgskanone 03

Mass: 511 kg
Barrel Length: L/17
Crew: 4
Recoil: Hydro-Spring
Breech: Horizontal sliding-block

21 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 03

Mass: 7,050 kg
Barrel Length: L/12
Crew: 8
Breech: Horizontal sliding wedge
Recoil: Hydro-Pneumatic
Carriage: Split Trail

Preussen Class Battleship

19,470 tons standard load, 4 x 30.5 L/45s in Twins, 12 x 24 cm L/45s in Twins, 8.8 cm secondaries, 21 kts, well armored/KCA

Preussen
Braunschweig

Königsberg Class Light Cruiser

3,500 tons Standard Load, 10 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 25 knots

6 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

What do you do with a Drunken Sailor?

Berlin
Stadtschloss
March 28 1904

“Jesus fucking Christ.” I said after someone had just explained to me what had happened in China. It might be blasphemy, but still damn this wasn’t what I was expecting. It was also the last thing I wanted. It made me want to get up from my desk and go to the liquor shelf I kept in my office for toast and pour myself a triple.

Personally, I wanted a war around 1907 or 08. My army would be finished reequipping itself by that point in time. My navy was not a primary worry at the moment but it would be good enough. Hell, I might even have some early aircraft for recce uses in a war instead of Zeppelins I was using at the moment. That was on the military front. On the colonial front I should had gained control of the Shandong Peninsula as a colony for the German Empire. Further the build up in the colonies should really be coming into stride then setting me up to steamroll French colonies. Domestically I should have an economy that should be able to steamroll both the French and Russians. This was not what I wanted.

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t see an off ramp to stop something. Granted I knew this was a possibly but I didn’t think the Russians would be that fucking stupid. For fuck shakes, who thought a war would start over Korea! With what happened there was no way to talk the Japanese down. They would demand we go to war for this.

“Sir?” Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen asked.

I didn’t know I said it that loudly. “Get me the Japanese Ambassador as soon as possible. I need to speak with him, now.” My mind was now working how to get this work for us, and possibly save me some later headaches. “Fetch the Korean Ambassador as well.”

“Yes sir.” He said as he started exiting my office.

“Also send in my private secretary.” I said.

“Yes sir.” Schoen replied.

I knew I would need talk to a few other ambassadors as well in the very near future. There would be no getting around that for this. All because of a drunken brawl between sailors in Chemulpo Bay, the world was about to nose dive into a war not seen since the days of Napoleon. If it was up to me both captains would be shot for these stupid actions, but I didn’t hold that kind of power.

Moments after Foreign Minister von Schoen exited my office my private secretary entered. He was a good man who had been in this role for seven years now. “I need you to signal Generaloberst von Schellendorff and von Goßler along with Admiral von Hollmann that they need to be here by 1800 hours tonight. Also have Chancellor von Posadowsky-Wehner join us as well.”

“Yes sir.” He took his que and left to get those men here by dinner tonight. A dinner that was very much going be a working dinner. I stood up and slowly walked over to the window that overlooked Berlin. People were going about their lives as if nothing was wrong. God sometimes I envied them. Sometimes this job I felt like Atlas with the weight of the world on my shoulders. “What do you do with a drunken sailor?” I asked myself.

“Start a war.” I answered myself. Part of me hoped not through.

Crossroads Pt I

Windsor
Windsor Castle
April 2 1904

Prime Minster Arthur Belfour along with Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs the Marquess of Lansdowne, and Secretary of the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain were currently waiting to be shown in to meet with King Edward VII. St John Brodrick and the Earl of Selborne who headed the parts of the cabinet that dealt with the military were currently meeting with German, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, Swedish, and Japanese Attachés to deal with the fallout from the Chemulpo Bay Incident as it was being called by the press right now. Along with prepping for the possibly of war. It was a bloody mess with the Russian and Japanese stories being wildly different, that said it didn’t change how things ended. The Koreans had their own version of events that while closer to the Japanese account didn’t totally match them. Still the outcome of all three were the same.

All three men were here to inform their monarch of the state of things as the mess that started in Korea was spreading and rapidly. The Japanese had already cancelled their leave passes for the military and recalled those on leave to report to their duty stations. The Germans were to issue the order to cancel leave for their military forces tomorrow from what they know. They were also going to put their reserve forces on high alert tomorrow as well. That wasn’t a mobilization in the case of Germany but it was only a step away from mobilization. The Austro-Hungarians and Italians hadn’t taken or committed to taking these steps yet. The Italians and Swedish were looking at the possibly through. The Austro-Hungarians were pushing for a peaceful solution to the Chemulpo Bay Incident. The three men waiting to see Edward didn’t believe a peaceful solution was possible; not after what happened and how many had died and with what happened.

Currently the British were looking at following the Japanese and German lead of cancelling leave passes for the military. With the German reserve system being radically different than the British reserve system they weren’t going to follow them on that front because they simply couldn’t. Still, it was something to be studied for the future. They knew the French would match any action by the Germans. The Russians had already matched the Japanese a few hours ago from the reporting St. Petersburg via their embassy there.

After waiting for a few minutes Edward’s personal butler entered the room where all three men were making small talk about what was happening. This talk was aimed at how best to position the British Empire to gain the most from this and check the Russians from becoming a power that could threaten the British. They were led into a drawing room that Edward was currently in. The butler left as all three men bowed before their monarch.

Edward was wearing a tweed suit. “Gentlemen I would like to know how we can end this peacefully.” Edward started this off.

Prime Minister Belfour replied, “Your majesty the Japanese cruiser Akashi was destroyed by the Russians. This is not something that can be ended peacefully.”

What happened at Chemulpo Bay was still in disagreement at the moment. But it had started as a drunken brawl between Russian and Japanese sailors. That much was clear. The Russians were claiming one of their sailors had been killed in this part of it. The Japanese were denying that. The Russian captain of the Gromoboi disagreed with that and demanded the Japanese Captain of the Akashi turn over those who had killed his sailor. The Japanese captain refused.

Up to this point everyone’s story was roughly the same. Granted there were major differences like a death of a Russian sailor in a drunken brawl. Most things were in agreement. It was at this point things wildly when different paths. The Japanese claimed the Gromoboi fired on them without reason. The Russians were claiming the Akashi fired first. That made no sense given how much more firepower the Gromoboi had.

The end however wasn’t disagreed on. An eight-inch shell from the Gromoboi found the rear magazine of the Akashi. Then the Akashi blew up killing at least 91 of her crew outright. More had died since then because of their wounds with the current death toll being up to 104.

“No, it will be ended peacefully.” Edward said.

All three men in the room looked at each wondering what was about to happen next.

Crossroads Pt II

Paris
Élysée Palace
April 9 1904

Général de division Gaudérique Roget a member of the French Army’s General Staff was leading the meeting with President Émile Loubet. This meeting was outlining the growing crisis that was coming from the fall out of the Chemulpo Bay Incident. The Russians had announced today they are starting a limited mobilization to counter the full mobilization of the Japanese which came out on the 7th. Things were quickly spinning out of control, as the French Army was expecting the Germans to fully mobilize to counter the limited Russian mobilization, as well as the Swedes and Romanians. The French would have to fully mobilize as well to counter the German mobilization. The mobilization of the Swedes and Romanians meant nothing to the French through. The Italians would most likely mobilize their forces after the French did, they might not through seeing what the Austro-Hungarians would do.

There was a reason the French knew the Austro-Hungarians wouldn’t mobilize. The health of Kaiser Franz Joseph was an open secret within the governments of Europe. Yes, he had done some limited public events since his stroke but it was enough to feed into the illusion that Franz Joseph was still in control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the public. The truth through was far different. Vienna and Budapest were a viper’s nest of people all buying for control.

Politically Austria-Hungary was a mess because of this. Barely anything could be done and the gridlock in Vienna and Budapest over the past few years made Paris look good by comparison. The Hungarians had never been happy about being allied to the Japanese. They thought it was beneath Europeans to be allied with the Japanese. Archduke Franz Ferdinand wasn’t happy with the fact the Germans when ahead and allied with the Japanese without the support of the Austro-Hungarians. Plus there was a growing divide between Vienna and Berlin. The French had picked up on that and seized it. French diplomats had secured Austria-Hungary neutrality in the event of any war short of a direct attack on the Austro-Hungarian Empire itself.

Efforts were underway to secure Austria-Hungary entering the war itself that through wasn’t going as well. Franz Ferdinand wasn’t keen on the idea and the Hungarians simply didn’t trust the Russians. Still securing Austro-Hungarian neutrality had been a major coup for the French. The problem still way with Germany itself. Kaiser Wilhelm was in love with bloody machine guns and had been a driving force in modernizing German fortifications along the Franco-German Border. The French Army understood even a spirited offensive into Germany via this axis of advance was a bad idea.

Unknown to the French the German Army was only hours away from issuing orders to plant land mines along likely axes of advance. These mines were simple affairs. They had a crush detonator that would go off when you stepped on it. Further they held enough explosive that it would take off the unlucky son of bitch’s leg who step on it but it wouldn’t be enough to kill said unlucky son of a bitch. The Germans had tens of thousands of these mines ready to go.

President Loubet was listening to what Général de division Roget was saying in shock and horror. It seemed that the efforts to Republicanize the army had failed with what was coming out of his mouth right now. Otherwise, the army would had come to the government with this information so they could done something with it. Roget said they had wanted to protect their source of the information as the French politicians would had been screaming it from the highest soap box they could had found. It was why the French Army did what it did.

“General let me make sure I understand what you said.” Loubet said with disgust in his voice. “You somehow scored an intelligence coup and got a spy on the German General Staff who was deeply in debt and needed money. He had since sold you German plans on a planned German invasion of Belgium once the Germans had pushed the Russians far enough back that they believed Berlin wouldn’t be a direct threat from the Russians. Using that information, you when to Leopold to gain the support of the Leopold and the Belgian Government to allow the French Army to pass through Belgium and out flank the Germans before they could have the chance to defeat the Russians? Is that right?”

“It is sir.”

“Merde!”

Crossroads Pt III

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 16 1904

I just sat there in stunned silence as I heard what the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador had just said. I had been wondering what the hell they were doing for the past week. The rest of Europe was mobilizing, they however were refusing to fully mobilize. I found it strange as hell, but this? This told me they never had any plans to honor the alliance with me. I knew I had plans to screw them over later, but that was after I broke the alliance with them. As someone once taught me your word is your bond and you never break your word.

Then again I was leaning to what one former Marine General and Secretary of Defense[1] said at one point in my former life, ‘Be Polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.’ That seemed to more important at the moment. After getting over the shock, I spoke in a very controlled manner, “Ambassador this will be remembered. You may go now.”

I could see the look on the Ambassador’s face. I could tell he didn’t want to do this, but he had no choice in the matter. He didn’t even bother to speak as he left my office. Once he was out of my office I let out a few deep breaths to reign in my anger. I was pissed. Every piece of intelligence I had showed the Russians throwing at least five armies at Galicia. They would leave three armies to cover the fronter of my nation with corp size elements covering the Swedes in Finland and the Romanians. They also had an army out in Manchuria to deal with the Japanese. This was going to throw a major wrench into my plans.

With the fire out of my breath I got up and walked to what had become the de facto war room. War hadn’t been declared yet, it was only a day or two away at this point. Possibly only hours away now. I knew the Japanese had already pass a list of demands to Russia over what happened in Chemulpo Bay yesterday. The note as I had a copy of it passed on to me by my foreign office knew it gave the Russian 48 hours. That ultimatum wasn’t well received by the Russians to put it bluntly even through it wasn’t anywhere as over the top of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia was in the former world I knew. Then again, the last few years had made me think that useful historical knowledge was coming to an end. This through was making it crystal clear that former historical knowledge was no longer worth diddly.

Once in the war room I saw a number of large maps with markers placed on them. One of the reforms I had brought about to the army and the navy was the use of NATO joint military symbology. Granted there wasn’t many symbols as there had been when I was a sergeant in the US Army in the 21st century, but anyone from then would had been able to follow what was going on the various tables. Each map had a junior staff officer and a number of NCOs working at it. Maps were there for the Franco-German, Franco-Italian, German-Low Countries, German-Russian, Swedish-Russian, Austro-Hungarian-Russian, Frontiers. In a different series of rooms was Korea and the naval maps.

Generaloberst von Schellendorff was standing near the door as he was working the telegraphs from here as well. I walked over to him, “General how long before the 10th Army can be moved to defend Bavaria and the 11th Army into Saxony?” I asked.

“Sir why would we have to defend either area as we are allied with the Austrians?” von Schellendorff asked. The man had only been a few months away from retirement when this happened. I had asked him to stay on long enough for things to become stable before handing things off to the man who would replace him.

“They had just informed me that do not plan to honor their treaties with us.” I replied. The reserve 9th Army had already formed up and moved to help with the growing mess in Belgium. The 10th was to go east with the 11th being held in strategic reserve. This was something I had planned for over a decade. I knew from the get go the British would never allow me to go through Belgium. If the French did it first through, they would have to allow it. Plus, if the Belgians fought me I figured Liege would look good flying the German tri-colors.

What this through was to throw a giant spanner into the works. Generaloberst von Schellendorff saw that almost within moments of informing me of this. “Some times you have to roll the hard six General.” I said quoting Bill Adama from Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica again.

[1] I know this is James Mattis, but I have a reason for wording like this.

Crossroads Pt IV

Rotstadt, German South-West Africa
Schutztruppe Base
April 18 1904

Newly married Oberleutnant Martin Padovaner along with all the other officers of 3. Schutztruppe was here. Martin was so newly married this was to had been the tail end of his honeymoon with his wife at Walfischbucht. The fucking Russians had to mess up that for him and his wife Anna. Her birth name wasn’t Anna but she had Germanized her name shortly before their marriage. Her birth name was Alphonsina, but she had changed her name because she was marrying an officer of the Schutztruppe.

Instead of the wedding and honeymoon they had planned they when ahead with the wedding, but skipped the honeymoon part of it. Martin was hoping that their time together would give them a child but he didn’t think there had been enough time for it. Instead of that he had been working to get the men of 3. Schutztruppe ready to move. The regiment was in the sole colony that needed ship borne transport to reach a fighting front. Even the regiment in German East Africa could be shipped by train to the German Kongo for fighting in against the French.

Pre-war planning stated that the 3. Schutztruppe would leave a small garrison force in German South West Africa. The bulk of the regiment would be shipped to the German Kongo for a push against Brazzaville and the French Kongo. This would be done with the two regiments of Schutztruppe troops from the German Kongo and a regiment from German East Africa. Once they linked up two regiments would form up into two brigade size formations for the assault.

The regimental commander stepped into the room. He was being followed by the regimental feldwebel. Everyone in the room snapped to attention. “Take your seats gentlemen.” The regimental commander said as he walked at a rapid pace. The Schutztruppe had brought in a host of different officers. Some of the junior officers jointed for the homestead and high pay. Some like Padovaner had left the various Austro-Hungarian Armies for a nation that honestly cared about its armed forces. The senior officers through generally came for rapid advancement through the ranks. Given that they were still being held to the same standards as the German Army itself, kept those who could not hack it from raising too far.

Once the regimental commander was in front of the room. “Yesterday the Japanese and Korean Empires declared war against the Russian Empire.” The fact that Korea when to war against Russia came as a surprise to many in the room. You could hear that as whispers started as soon as that was stated.

Unknown to anyone in this room Kaiser Wilhelm had become good friends with current Prime Minister of Japan Itō Hirobumi and Japanese Emperor Mutsuhito during his world tour a few years back. He also kept in touch with both of them. This was in part because he wanted to secure a long term ally in Japan along with steering Japan away from the path it took in the world only he and Dona knew about. Maybe even forge a special relationship with Tokyo. Wilhelm believed through that everyone would be best served by Korea staying its own nation but firmly tied to Japan and if possible, Germany as well.

In a deal he stuck between the Japanese and Korean Ambassadors in the aftermath of the mess that was Chemulpo Bay, Korea agreed to enter the war against Russia. Germany itself would gain a naval base at Wŏnsanjin. Japan would gain a naval base at Haeju. Korea itself would have itself tied in various ways to both nations but would remain its own nation. With Yamagata Aritomo having suffered a heart attack a few years back that had been fatal, Hirobumi’ faction of Genrō had won the day and accepted this, given other things the Kaiser had offered the Japanese. Korea really had no choice but to accept the offer but it kept their freedom which was enough for them.

“Enough!” The regimental commander said. That got the room to quiet down again. “Currently fighting hasn’t spread to Europe or Africa yet. It’s only a matter of time through. Just before I came in here, I had been informed by the Governor that the Kaiser himself had sent a note to St. Petersburg demanding the Russians end its offensive war against Japan and Korea and accept the terms of the Japanese note that was sent to the Russians a few days ago. Its likely that in the next 48 hours the empire will be at war.”

There was a pause. “Orders have come down, the whole of the regiment outside the Feldjäger will travel by train to Walfischbucht. There we will be loaded up into transports and be escorted by a join German and British naval formation to travel to Boma.”

For the officers of the regiment, they had accepted this and had been working for this. The regimental commander spoke again, “Dismissed!”

At that Martin got up to start walking to his platoon of artillery to get them ready for the move. But before he could get out of the briefing room his regimental commander spoke to him, “A word Martin.”

“Sir?”

The regimental commander waited till all the other officers had left. “Your orders are different Oberleutnant or I should say Hauptmann. You are to report to Berlin. They have a special assignment for you it seems.”

At that the regimental commander handed the newly promoted Martin his orders. He looked at them, “Sir does this have to do with the Austro-Hungarians reneging on their treaty?”

“This is above my pay grade Martin. Go on say good bye to your wife and get on the train.”

The two men saluted each other before Martin took off to the officer housing area of the base.

Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War Pt I

Melbourne
Jones’ House
April 20 1904

Matt Jones entered the house he had brought with the money he had saved during his former war service in China and Southern Africa. Plus, there been some loot taken during his service in Southern Africa that help paid for this house. It was his house and he was going to miss it along with what was in it.

Since returning to Melbourne Matt had been busy. He had found work briefly as a shop supervisor after he was mustered out of service. He had been good at the job but it was not something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Politics through was something different. After talking with various members of the Free Trade Party he became active in politics. With him being a war hero and a good-looking man, there was many who thought a bright future lay ahead in the newly formed Australia. He was expected to stand in the next election Victorian Legislative Council to get some time in government before he would stand for a seat in a federal election. Those plans would come to not.

Matt had also taken a wife since returning to Melbourne. Her name was Margaret, and she was a wholesome woman who he had started to court soon on his return to Melbourne. They had been married early last year. She came into view as Matt made his way into living room where she was reading a book as the hired help cooked. She still looked as beautiful as the moment he laid eyes on a few years ago. Even with the early signs of her belly swelling with child.

“Hey good looking.” Matt said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Margaret picked up on right away, “No, Matt you aren’t going away!” Margaret’s father was a wealthy land owner in Victoria. It was that wealth that allowed Matt to quit his job and focus on politics. Because of this Margaret was well read and intelligence. She had been reading the newspapers and knew what was happening around the world.

“Sorry honey, I have to.” It was partly a lie. He had already served with honor once and come back a hero. If he however didn’t serve this time it would damage his political chances for higher officer and he knew it. So, he had to volunteer to service again to advance his political career.

Margaret was crying, “Don’t leave me or the baby!”

“Sorry, I already accepted a commission as a leftenant and have orders already.” Matt said. Thanks to his political connections he was going to war this time as an officer instead of an NCO. He knew he was going to be assigned to the 5th Battalion of the 2nd Brigade as a platoon commander.

At that Margaret ran over to him crying as she hugged her husband. Germany had formally declared war against the Russian Empire this morning. It had also formally called on its allies in the Austro-Hungarian and British Empires and the Kingdoms of Italy, Sweden, and Romania to join them in this war. Russia was likely to call on its own allies in France, Serbia, and Montenegro to aid it. Belgium was likely to join the war as it had been debating this publicly in its government.

Belgium was claiming they had proof that the Germans had no plans to honor the Treaty of London and march through it to out flank the French. They were also pointing to the fact the Germans had the 9th Army on its borders. Germany was claiming this was just in case they decided to allow the French to march through Belgium so they had their own flanks covered.

Unknown to many this had been used by Edward VII in attempt to get out of honoring the treaty that London held with Berlin. That had led to some very clear and direct threats by various leaders from all the major parties in Parliament directed at Edward. For a few days it looked like this would spark a constitutional crisis till Edward backed down at the last moment and kept this coming to public view. He saw everything and everyone lining up against him in this so he finally gave in and accepted that the British Empire was going to war aside the German Empire.

The Australian Navy was already working up plans to seize New Caledonia from the French and a few other Pacific Island chains that were under French control. Matt and the Australian Army there was a debate to its future. Some were calling it for to sailing to Africa and fighting the French there. Others were for travelling to Korea and fighting to reinforce the Japanese. At the moment no one knew where the Australian Army would end up.

The Dogs of War Pt I

Near Tilsit
Forward Edge of Battle
April 21 1904

Feuerwerksleutnant Hans Dallmann had one hand on the field telephone and had the other on the map. “Fire for effect at grid 04-26. Infantry in the open. I say again, Fire for effect at grid 04-26. Infantry in the open.”

“Wilco.” Came the call from the battery of 10 cm Feldhaubitze 99 that were four kilometers behind the lines. Currently the Russians were trying to cross the Niemen River as part of their invasion of East Prussia. The Russians were trying to roll up East Prussia to the Vistula before pausing to regroup and marching on Berlin to end this war.

For Feuerwerksleutnant Hans Dallmann he had the job of directing the battery of regimental howitzers of 3. Grenadier Regiment. The veteran of the China War knew many things had changed since 1898 within the German Army. The artillery within every corp had been reorganized based on experiences of China. Each regiment now had a battery each of 10 cm howitzers and 7.5 cm field guns. Each division now had a battalion that was a mix of 10 cm field funs and 15 cm howitzers. The corp itself had a full regiment of artillery including the new massive 21 cm howitzers at it called along with the smaller guns found at the division level.

At the moment the 3. Grenadiers were assigned to guard this area of the Niemen River as it was a likely area that the Russians would try to ford the river here. It took a few moments but the 10 cm high explosive ranging shells landed. Dallmann saw where they landed, “Adjust 25 meters to the east, 10 meters to the north. Fire for effect!”

“Wilco.”

At that Dallmann put his map into his pocket as he waited for the next set of ranging shells to come in. At the same time, he unslung the MP 04 he had been issued. These had only been approved for service two months ago and he had limited training with it. That said it was a better idea than the rifle pistol combo he fought with in the China War. The range was limited but it could put down a hell of lead at close range.

Dallmann however was the only one armed with the new weapon. The new 1904 TO&E had called for everyone in the section he commanded to be armed with one, but given that production was only ramping up when the war started there wasn’t enough to go around. Then he heard the sounds of the next series of ranging shots coming in. They stuck where he wanted them to land. “Good hits, switch to shrapnel shells. Infantry still in the open.”

He would had asked for the new white phosphorus shells had there been any in the limbers but those were being kept in reserve at the corp level at the current moment as there wasn’t enough of them to go around. There however was more than enough shrapnel shell to go around. It took a few moment but all six guns started to rain down shrapnel shells on the Russian infantry. This was the que for the two battalions of 3. Grenadier that were on the front to open fire with their machine guns and rifles.

With the howitzers performing rapid fire being 60 shrapnel shells down per minute for five minutes put together with the rifle and machine gun fire from the two battalions threw the Russians back at this point along the Niemen with heavy losses. This however was simply a delaying action of the 1st Infantry Division of I Corp.

The Dogs of War Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 22 1904

There was a different feel in the air around Berlin than there had been during the China War only a few years ago. I had returned to wearing an army uniform daily again instead of my normal suits. I however wasn’t wearing the mess of medals and awards of the dress uniform. This was more akin to service khakis of the navy as I knew it. It was based off field gray uniforms that were standard where in the field, but a bit more formal. It had a fruit salad of ribbons but not the medals which made this fair easier to move around with.

Currently the palace in Berlin that I called home when I was here in Berlin had become a command center for my use. Dona had taken the children that were still minors to Sanssouci. Junior came home from his studies to become one of my adjutants for this war. He had taken a commission as a Hauptmann and was working on my staff. Then there was Eitel who was serving with the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division which was currently part of the GK serving with the 2nd Army on the end of the Franco-German Frontier where it met Luxembourg. Currently that area was quiet, but the French had just declared war in the past few hours, so that quiet was likely to end soon.

One of the junior officers who was one of the messengers from the telegraph room. “Sir, the French have crossed the border into Luxembourg. Belgium has accepted the French offer to defend them from our invasion plans as they are putting it.”

I had to force back the smile that wanted to form on my face. I gotten the French and Belgians to bite. The British had already honored the alliance call and have declared war against the Russians. As have the Italians. The Romanians had informed me they were waiting for reinforcements before jumping in. With the Russians have three armies massed on their borders I understood that. They couldn’t stand up to that. Reinforcements however were on their way in the form of British Indian Army forces. It however would be a month or more before they got there.

“Launch Operation Beleuchtung.” I said. The British already had given their blessing if this was to happen. I just wish I had more troops to throw into this than I did.

The Dogs of War Pt III

Near Verviers, Belgium
Forward Edge of Battle
April 23 1904

Leutnant-Prince Eitel Hohenzollern had his MP 04 in his hands as his platoon marched forward along with the rest of the Gardekorps. Their mission was secure the fortress town of Liege before the French could reach it. The goal was to secure as much defensible terrain as possible while things out in the east were fought before going on a mass offensive against the French. This was because they simply didn’t have the strength needed to mount a proper offensive against the French at the moment.

Eitel was a prime example of the reforms his father had been pushing in the Imperial German Army. It started with the steel helmet on his head. Going down to the uniform itself, the only signs he was an officer was the shoulder boards he wore. The Feld Gray uniform had done away with medals in the field. He had a total of six magazines in his field gear set up with them being around his chest. He further had a Pistole 02 on his hip with two extra magazines for it as well. On his back was some of the field gear he would need for the ruck march. He also had two canteens of water. Still the weight wasn’t that bad.

Another area of reform was the amount of physical fitness training each solider under when. Each solider across the whole army was expected to be able to run 3.5 kilometers in a given amount of time, it depends on the age group what an acceptable time was. Further still each solider had to perform a number of push ups and sit ups. To be in the Gardekorps through it took more. Along with higher standards they had to perform a number of pull ups to be the standards to be in the GK.

There was an area where the Gardekorps also differ from the rest of the army at the moment. This was in the amount of artillery each division had. Unlike the current standard of one battalion each of 10 cm field guns and 15 cm howitzers, each division in the Gardekorps had two battalions of each. The goal was to equipped the whole army with the same amount of artillery of the Gardekorps but production couldn’t meet the demand. The rumor going around that the army had gone to Krupp and brought out all their stock guns to help make up this short fall of artillery.

The platoon ahead of them stopped which cause Eitel to signal his own platoon to stop and take cover. This was all nonverbal hand signals. This cause the company commander to come rushing forward to see why the column was stopping. There was a rapid conversation between the company command and the platoon commander of the platoon that was ahead of Eitel. Whatever was said caused the company commander to come running back.

Once the company commander reached Eitel the talk was done totally via hand signals. Eitel agreed and started to order his own platoon to take near the farmhouse that was covering the crossroads. They had spotted a Belgian infantry company moving in the open. That company however had no discipline which was cause it to be spotted long before they spotted the Germans.

Eitel and his platoon took up cover positions in the farm house after making sure the farmer and his wife stayed quiet. Currently the position of Belgium in this war wasn’t clear to anyone; including the Belgians themselves. If this could be done peacefully than it would be done. If not, they were willing to do it by force.

Once in position Eitel signal the lead platoon with a signal mirror that he was in position. Once he had a signal from the other platoon that had moved to the right flank of the crossroads the platoon commander of the first platoon called out in French to ask the Belgians what their intentions were. That was created with Belgian officer demanding the Germans leave their nation’s soil. Like hell they would Eitel thought.

This started something of a back and fore before the Belgian officer drew his pistol. That was hostile actions and caused the flanking platoons to open fire and cut the Belgian company down to nothing in short order. With the rapid fire guns of the Germans against the bolt action rifles with no machine guns it was a short one sided affair. A number of Belgians threw down their rifles either to run or to surrender only a minute after fire started.

the Dogs of War Pt IV

Near Lotzen, East Prussia
Forward Edge of Battle
April 29 1904

Major Martin Friedrich Langholz of Seebattaillon 5 was watching his marines setting up a new series of machine guns that had been in field trials when this war had started. It still hadn’t been officially adopted by the Marines yet. Given the nature of the marines they were badly lacking for light artillery. They could depend on ship borne artillery but that was generally at the heavier end of the artillery. They would need light artillery. The mortars that had been adopted were nice but this new machine gun type was designed to work with those mortars in giving them light artillery firepower in a package that they could move somewhat easy.

These machine guns fired the new 13.2 x 105 mm round. It was a big bastard of a round. It however wasn’t the size of the round itself that allowed it to be used as a light artillery piece. No it was the fact that instead of being a full metal jacketed round, the rounds fired by these machine guns were light high explosive rounds. This almost 40 kilogram machine gun could spit out almost 400 of these rounds per minute. His heavy weapon company had a total of six of these machine guns for use here right now. They were being backed up by mortars and on call artillery from 8th Army.

The reason the Marines were here was because this was the seam of the Russian 2nd and 3rd Armies. The plan was to break off the 3rd Army from the 2nd and pocket it and destroy it. Well, that was the plan at the higher levels. For Langholz through none of that matter. He had to defend this cross roads from the Russians. Intelligence expected that the 20th Don Cossack Regiment would be probing this area. On his flanks Langholz knew he had German Army regiments to help out but his battalion was the defending the crossroads.

During the morning Langholz along with the other officers of the Marines were working with their Marines to trap the Cossacks and destroy them. It was demanding work as positions were double checked and camouflaged. Local German civilians who had refused the evacuation orders brought Langholz and his marines, lunch which they were thankful for as they were currently on hard tack and erbswurst. This was because they lacked the field kitchens the German Army had. That food quickly when down as the Marines got back to work.

It was around 1500 that the call came in from forward elements that the Cossack Cavalry was advancing up the road scouting for German lines. That got the Marines to go from alert to ready for action. Now everyone of the 750 German marines were waiting for the signal to open up hell on the Russians. Langholz himself had his MP 04 at a low ready. It was a good weapon but meant for close battle. He knew where the flare was set that would start this. It depended how hard the Russians pressed things if he brought his own weapon into this battle or not.

When a green flare was launched into the air after the trip wire had been set off the German Marines opened up on the Cossack Cavalry. The Mortars started to fire their 8 cm high explosive shells as fast as their teams could load them. The machine gunners both those on normal machine guns and these new massive beast of machine guns opened up as well. Given the whole area had been sighted in prior to this meant it was a killing field pure and simple.

Cloak Then Dagger Pt I

Lüneburg
Office Building
May 5 1904

Hauptmann Martin Padovaner was currently reading the newspaper while he waited. So far this hadn’t mounted to much of anything. The trip from Walfischbucht to Hamburg had been standard for the most part. There had been a scare of a French cruiser having been reported around the Azores when they were in the same area but nothing came of it. Either they gave the French the slip or it had just been war nerves. Martin wasn’t sure which it was.

The headlining story of the newspaper he was reading while he waited was that of the victory of the Battle of Lyck. Newly promoted Field Marshal Hans Hartwig von Beseler had led an operation that cut off and forced the surrender of the Russian Third Army while badly damaging the Russian Second Army once he spung his trap. The paper was reporting more than 90,000 Russians of the Third Russian Army had been taken as prisoners and were being moved to prisoner camps that were being built to house them.

It was an impressive victory but, Padovaner doubted the Russians would give up that easily after one such defeat. Indeed, unknown to Padovaner but it was being picked up by German intelligence the Russians were moving two more armies to make up the lost of the 3rd Army and beating the 2nd Army took in its effort to relieve the 3rd. The plan was to disengage in East Prussia and make a push into Posen itself.

Before he could turn the page to read about the bloodbath that was becoming the Western Front, Padovaner heard someone called his name. With that he folded up the newspaper and when into the room. “Hauptmann Padovaner reporting as ordered sir.”

This was strange to Padovaner. A Feldwebel had checked him into this floor of the office building after reviewing the orders that Padovaner had been issued back in German South-West Africa. Then he had to wait for a good 15 minutes before being shown into this office.

“At ease Hauptmann. I’m Major Max Hoffmann. I’m sure that you have many questions.”

‘Yes, yes I do.’ Padovaner thought but he didn’t say anything and decided to allow the major spill it. “Hauptmann what is your thoughts on the Austro-Hungarian Empire?”

‘What?’ Was Padovaner’s first thought. “Besides they are a bunch of backstabbers Major?”

That got a light laugh from Hoffmann. “Yes, besides that Hauptmann.”

“Given what I seen when I served in their army, they were all form and no substance.”

This started a back and fore between Hoffmann and Padovaner. This was a test to see where Padovaner’s loyalty lie. Was it with Berlin or Vienna? A sizable number of officers from both the Common Army and Landwehr had joined the Schutztruppe. Only a limited number of officers from the Honvéd had joined. The reasons for these officers joining the Schutztruppe was widely varied. They wanted to know the real reason why Padovaner left the service of the Landwehr and could he be trusted.

Over the next 95 minutes Hoffman led Padovaner through a wild conversation. “If you will give me a moment Martin.”

“Yes sir, take your time.” Martin was wondering what the fuck was going on but had largely enjoyed the conversation they were having.

Unknown to Padovaner three men had been listening into the conversation. Hoffman stepped into what looked like a bathroom which was a rare thing still in most office buildings to have more than a single such room on any given floor. If one light was on that mean brief him. The other was to inform him that he needed to report somewhere else for reassignment duties. Hoffman saw the brief him light was on.

After a few minutes Hoffman entered the room again, “Hauptmann Padovaner, the information I’m about to brief you on is sensitive compartmented information. I need you to sign these papers that make it clear you understand how critically important this is.”

Padovaner led the paperwork he had just been handed. He wasn’t kidding about how serious this was. If he spoke to any not authorized person about this he could spend up to 50 years in prison along with being fined up to 50,000 Marks. Yet he signed the paperwork.

“Welcome to the Brandenburgers Padovaner.” Hoffman said once he had the paperwork back in his hand.

Money Makes the World Go Round Pt III

SMS Leipzig
Near Jan Mayer
May 8 1904

Fregattenkapitän Reinhard Scheer stood on the bridge of his ship. His ship the SMS Leipzig could effectively be called a sub-class of the Berlin Class light cruiser. She had been the last of that six ship class to commission having only been in service for nine months at this point. This was largely due to her engines. Unlike the other five cruisers of the Berlin class, she was equipped with steam turbine engines instead of vertical triple expansion. She still retained the same 22 knot top speed as her sister ships but unlike them she could maintain that top speed instead of having to slack off after so many hours at running at top speed. This was largely meant to test the new technology for newer ships that were currently being built.

Since the start of the war Scheer and the Leipzig had been hunting down Russian and French merchant ships that had been caught out at sea when the various declaration of wars. So far for Scheer and his crew this voyage had been a profitable one. So far, they had captured four merchants, three Russian and one French. Based on his math that was north of 12,000 tons displacement they had captured so far. One of the Russian ships had been empty and trying to escape to Arkhangelsk when the Leipzig ran them down. The other three had cargo along with the ships themselves. When they would put back in at Hamburg Scheer knew the prize court was going to pay out quiet nicely.

The sea however was rapidly becoming empty of French, Belgian, and Russian merchant ships. With the Royal Navy, Kaiserliche Marine, Imperial Japanese Navy, Regia Marina, and Svenska Marinen all taking part in the hunt. Scheer had been searching the north figuring with the rapidly expanding blockade of the French coast the Kattegat being shut down, he reasoned that any remaining ships would run for the northern Russian port city of Arkhangelsk. Further they would keep from the standard shipping lanes as those were being hunted down to no end. That’s how he and his crew found themselves by the still unclaimed island of Jan Meyer.

While performing a search of the area they noticed a 1,100 ton slow steamer that had no business being here. Even with it flying the Danish Flag, Scheer ordered the ship to stand by for an inspection. The captain of the steamer however tried repeatably to not to be inspected which caused Scheer to believe that this was a merchant of one of the nations he was at war with them trying to escape to the safety of Arkhangelsk. Finally, the captain of the steamer finally came to a stop and allowed a team from the Leipzig to inspect her.

Over the next hour the officers and men of the final prize crew boarded the steamer to inspect her. They found out that it was in truth a Russian ship that had been bound for St. Petersburg when the war had started in the Mid-Atlantic. She had been working her way north to get to Arkhangelsk. On board was a cargo of cotton bales which had been ordered for one of the textile mills in Lodz. It wasn’t going to be the richest prize they had taken during their cruise but it would still add to the payday every man and officer on the Leipzig would see once they reached the prize court in Hamburg.

The Ottoman Problem Pt II

Constantinople
German Embassy
May 15 1904

Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz or as he was better known in the Ottoman Empire Goltz Pasha felt odd waiting in the German Embassy. He wasn’t here as a German citizen instead he was here to represent the Ottoman Empire. It was the place he called home since 1897 after being all but drummed out of the German Army by Kaiser Wilhelm himself. That still stung Goltz that he had his career taken away from him for simply speaking the truth.

Still Goltz had been watching the news of war since it started about a month ago. It seemed that the Kaiser was right about a few things. The western front from the news reports and his own intelligence reports he had led had settled down on a defensive line from the Dutch border to the city of Liege to Bastogne, and down to around Verdun. From the reports that Goltz had seen when the French tried to mount an infantry charge against German defensive positions, even more so defensive positions that had been prepared it was a slaughter of the highest order.

The same couldn’t be said of the Franco-Italo front. Then again only a bloody mad man would launch an offensive through the Alps. The Italians through seemed to be prepping for something through because they still had a large army and not much use for it. With the Austro-Hungarians refusing to allow the Italians to send their army north as planned they had an army and no where to launch an offensive. Goltz believed the Italians might be getting ready to strike at Tunis and get revenge of the Theft of Tunisia. Or maybe Corsica was the target. The latter might expand the naval battle that had been fought in the Ligurian Sea late last month but was only becoming known now.

On the Swedish-Russian front there wasn’t much reporting there. However, given where that was being fought that wasn’t all that surprising to Goltz. He also didn’t know much about what was happening in Korea or Manchuria. Then again that was on the other side of the planet. It was the Eastern Front that was surprising. The Germans had already destroyed one whole Russian Army and badly damage two others. Yet the Germans forces in the east weren’t taking to the offensive. That make Goltz wonder why.

Before he could keep pondering on that fact Goltz was called in for the meeting. General der Infanterie Helmuth von Moltke the Younger was waiting for him. After the greetings von Moltke got straight down to the reason for this meeting. The Germans wanted to know the state of the Ottoman Army. The British were working out the logistics of sending an Indian Expeditionary Force of 100,000 men to reinforce Romania as various battles in the colonies were being fought. Yet for the IEF to get to Romania they would have to sail through the Turkish straights.

Such an act would likely cause the Russians to take such an action of an act of war. So before they send the IEF to fight with the Romanians they wanted to make sure the Ottomans could fight the Russians without need of massive reinforcements. Further Berlin and London didn’t want another round of Ottoman-Greek wars over Crete. Everyone had withdrawn their forces from Crete for use elsewhere and the Cretan people made it clear again they wanted to join Athens. So to keep another Ottoman-Greek war from starting they decided to get the Ottomans on their side in this current war. Before that thought they wanted to know if the Ottomans were ready for such a war.

With Goltz being the most senior European officer who knew the Ottoman Army inside and out he was the one they wanted to talk to. The British wanted to know if another IEF would have to be sent to the Ottoman Empire to help them fight in the Caucasus or not.

Crossroads Pt V

Vienna
Coffee Shop
May 29 1904

Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf was asking himself for the thousand time why couldn’t Franz Joseph just not die already. He was one of a select few in the military who knew the full extent of the health issues that their Kaiser faced. Franz Joseph’s health was a state secret, but still the old bastard wouldn’t die. With him refusing to die had caused many problems that the Austro-Hungarian Empire now faced.

Instead of declaring Franz Ferdinand prince regent, a de facto regency council had been formed. This was even without a regency being declared. Even if he didn’t get along with Franz Ferdinand, Conrad believed it would be better for the empire than dealing with the fucking regency council as they would had followed through on their treaty obligations. The regency council was a viper’s nest of snakes with everyone having their own ideas and no one being able to agree on anything generally other than keeping the true state of Franz Joseph secret from the public.

Now the empire was paying the prize for the stupidity of the council. The decision not to follow the Germans to war had been one of the rare things to even being voted on by the council as it was mostly knife fighting while having the person you were fighting with by the belt. The Hungarians were dead set against going to war. Then again, the Hungarians and the Ausgleich was the root of many problems within the empire. The army and the foreign ministry were for going to war. It however came down to Cisleithania on if the empire to go to war or not. Unlike the Hungarians the various factions that made up the Cisleithania seats in the regency council were never united.

Some of the Cisleithania seats had voted against going to war because they were pissed that Kaiser Wilhelm hadn’t informed them of the German-Japanese alliance which was at the heart of this war. That however wasn’t enough to swing the vote against going to war to the nays. Unknown to Conrad, this is where the French came in. They had learned that one of the swing votes on the regency council enjoyed the company of a male prostitute. With their work with the Hungarians and black mail of this one key vote was enough to swing the vote for going to war for the nays.

In Cisleithania itself Blue Cornflowers could be seen on both men and women in large numbers, even children. Heinrich Friedjung along with other leaders of the pro-German factions were once again in prison in effort to tamp down on the unrest that was spreading within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Yet, it wasn’t enough. Conrad wanted to strangle the bloody Hungarians as this was spreading into the army. Both the Common Army and Landwehr that were near the German border were reporting an increasing number of its soldiers deserting and crossing the border to enlist in the German Army. It was to the point that those units were putting triple the number of guards out in effort to stem this. Further men of military age were also not reporting for their call ups in increasing numbers. Most were travelling north again to volunteer for service in the German Army. Others were using this as a time to escape their service to the empire for various escapes.

In Bosnia riots had broken out. Common Army troops had been called in to keep the peace in Sarajevo. Currently that peace was holding but it was a question of how much longer it would hold up. The Serbs wanted to carve off part of Bosnia for themselves but they weren’t about to pick a fight with the Austro-Hungarians. They had used a clause with their alliance with Russia to get out from going to war with them. Then again, they couldn’t do anything in this war and they knew it. So, they were waiting for the right moment to strike.

For the Hungarians, Conrad knew what they were doing. At the moment he was powerless to stop it. Well if the war kept going the way it was. Conrad was impressed by the performances of the Germans. He knew they were good, but believed they would be crushed between the weight of Paris and St. Petersburg or Petrograd as the Russians were calling it now. Instead, they had pulled off a series of impressive defensive victories over both the French and Russians. Even more so given the casualties figures he had seen for various battles. Conrad knew if he had been allowed to lead forces into battle, he could be achieving the glory that various German generals were now achieving. It wasn’t meant to be through.

It was why he was in this coffee in the back enjoying a nice cup of coffee as he thought about his next move. He knew once the war was over there would be hell to pay for the empire. Even more so for those trying to make a profit by running the blockade that was being set up by the British-German alliance. Conrad had met Wilhelm a few times over the past couple years as he had tried to set up high level military exchanges between his nation and the empire. It had always failed. Conrad however knew Wilhelm was not someone to be trifled with and he also pity those who did.

“Herr Conrad.” A man said softly. He was well dressed and looked like a professional in some various field.

“Herr Bergmann.” Conrad said. This was the second time the two of these men had met. They had much to talk about in this meeting, just like the last meeting.

Building Bridges Pt IV

Bangkok, Siam
German Embassy
June 8 1904

For Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, Siam had always been something of a curiosity. He was impressed the Siam had been able to retain its independence even if it had to make territorial concessions to the west to save its independent. Just the fact they were able to retain their independence was impressive. On the other hand, Wilhelm saw little economic reason to invest in Siam. There were no natural resources there. Its economy was based on agriculture, forestry and fishing. While it would be nice to get that, he knew for the war that came after this one Germany would have to be able fed herself.

Still there was money to be made if not on the margins that could be elsewhere. So, trade relations between Germany and Siam had been growing since the signing of the German-Siamese Treaty of 1895. This started the process of Siamese agriculture and timber being shipped to either German colonies. In return German industrial and consumer goods were imported into Siam. Plus, German efforts had seen to a modernizing of the Siamese agriculture sector that had increased exports while retaining enough to feed the nation.

All that said, Wilhelm viewed Siam as a long-term project that if it failed it wouldn’t hurt. He knew it would never stand up to a full scale western, or for that matter Japanese invasion for at least 50 years. Possibly more. So, it was a long game play in Siam. That was till this bloody war started. This war had caught him out the position he wanted to be, and Wilhelm truly believed that to win a war you bring all your guns to the fight then bring all your friends and their guns to the fight as well. Given how the French treated Siam he decided to see able bringing Siam to the party.

This meeting was to outline what support the Germans would give Siam for going to war against the French. They weren’t expecting the Siamese to send troops to Europe or even Africa. They were expecting the Siamese fight the French in the colony that bordered their own nation. Given the Siamese had to give up a lot of that land to the French just to retain their independent made this alone gave the Siamese a reason to fight as it would reverse the shame, they had to suffer to retain their independence. Yet the Germans were also stating they would give money and arms to the Siamese in their effort to fight the French. Plus, a military assistance command would be formed to help the Siamese in this fight.

At the peace treaty the Germans were also stating that they would make sure the Siamese would regain the lands that they had lost in the 1903 treaty they had signed with the French. They further would regain the lands they had been forced to give up in 1893. The Siamese asked about the land they lost in 1888 and 1863, the Germans wouldn’t promise that. Yet the Germans said if they could seize it during the war, they would make a push for the Siamese to get it at the peace conference.

Nothing was agreed to at this meeting. But it was clear the Siamese wanted to accept the Kaiser’s offer as presented by the Kaiser’s ambassador to their nation.

Criminal Justice Pt I

Verviers, German Occupied Belgium
Town Hall
June 19 1904

Oberleutnant Karl Weber of the Army’s Judge Advocate General's Korps was currently sitting with his client. His client was a Theo Dupont. Theo was just a kid at 17 years old. His family was natives to Liege and had been displaced by the war. They along with a number of other people from the town they were now in were waiting to see what the judge decided on the case against him. Theo’s life was on the line as he was being charged as an unlawful combatant along with a few other charges. On the other charges, Karl made it clear to Theo there wasn’t much he could do. Karl however said he believed he could save Theo’s life and get him off on the unlawful combatant charge. A charge that carried only a single punishment; death by firing squad.

This had all started a week ago. The German Army had set up defensive lines running from the Dutch border to the Swiss border as the war settled into a static war. To help keep civilian casualties down they had evacuated civilians that were within seven kilometers of the front. The Dupont family was one of those who had been forced out of their homes just to keep them alive as Liege was on the frontlines of this blasted war. With everything the German government was helping the Depont family and others with food and housing while everything got settled down to something better than the tent cities that had spung up in the Belgium countryside in the German occupied part of the nation.

For Theo through he blamed the Germans for the lost of his house and some of his friends along with his future. So he decided to take it out on those who had wronged him. So with a pair of wire cutters he decided to cut a telegraph line that was being used by the 2nd Army to commutate with one of his corp headquarters. He however had been caught by a roaming patrol. He did made an attempt to run when the patrol ordered him to stop, but he took off and left the cutters and damaged telegraph wire behind him. The patrol caught him a few hundred meters later.

Karl was hoping he would get the kid’s life spared. He was a lawyer in his normal day job, only it wasn’t criminal law he practiced. He was contact lawyer who dealt with various corporate issues. He also held a reserve commission in the Army’s JAG Korps. When the war started, he was called up like all the other reservists. He had been assigned to the 2nd Army’s JAG unit. It was that assignment that got him here to defend this kid.

An unteroffizier stepped in to the room Karl and Theo was in, “Sir the judge is ready now.”

“Thank you unteroffizier, we will be there in a moment.” Karl said. At that the junior NCO left the room. Karl turned to the kid, “Come on Theo. Given its been over an hour I think it’s a good thing for you.” Karl said in French.

Theo didn’t say anything. He honestly didn’t know what to make of this. Then again, he never planned on getting caught either. He was hoping the German lawyer that he had been assigned was telling the truth and he would not be placed up against the wall. He knew he had been stupid, but he was also pissed and acted on that. Now that could possibly cause him is life.

A few moments later they were in the room where the trial was being held. There were a few Belgian civilians here along with Dupont family. There was also a British officer here to watch the whole affair. Further there were a few journalists from nations not in this war. There was small chatter from people who were being allowed to watch the trial. Then the unteroffizier who when to inform both the defense and prosecution that the judge was now ready spoke loudly, “His honor, Oberstleutnant Friedrich Fuchs. All rise!” First in German. He then said it again in French.

With that everyone stood up to honor the judge that was entering the room. Once Fuchs was seated he spoke first in German, “Be seated.” Then he said it again in French.

“In the case of Dupont v 2nd Army, the court rules as follows. On Article 50, unlawful combatant, the court finds the defendant not guilty.” There was a moment of pause then it was repeated again in French just so the Belgians who were watch this could understand it. You could hear the air being sucked in by the Belgians who knew one of their own wasn’t about to be killed.

The judge when on, “On Article 71, destruction of Army property, Article 85, resistance of arrest, and Article 105, criminal trespass, the court finds the defendant guilty.”

All that air that had been sucked in was let out as Theo was found guilty on the other three charges he had been faced with. The only good thing he would live. The Judge when on after switching back to German, “As such this court sentences the defendant to 20 years of hard labor. Court is adjourned.”

The unteroffizier spoke again, “All rise!”

Once the judge left the room Karl turned to his client, “I told you I could get you off on the unlawful combatant charge.”

“Thank you.” Theo said simply. At least he wouldn’t die. The next 20 years of his life would suck, but at least he would live. The military police NCOs came up to take custody a few moments after Theo said that to his lawyer.

After this Theo would be shipped off to a clearing station that had been set up at Dortmund to deal with those civilians who had been sentenced to hard labor. Once at Dortmund it would be decided what would be the best use of their skill sets would be, if there were skill to be used.

Planning Pt IV

Danzig
The Old Arsenal
June 30 1904

Currently I was waiting for word from the navy that it would be safe for me to visit the captured Russian battleship Imperator Aleksandr III they had brought into port a few hours ago. She was one of two battleships that had been captured in Battle of Gotland Basin. The other being the Imperator Nikolai I. She however was in such bad shape and such questionable value that my ‘brother’ decided to scuttle her after looting the ship for some trophies, notably the officers mess. Gotland Basin had been a hell of a naval battle that had almost destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet. If not for Rozhestvensky it most likely would had been. Still, it had been a backbreaking lost for the Russians. Beside two battleships captured, two more were sunk and another badly damaged. The Swedes managed to take a coastal defense ship as prize as well. The German navy managed to captured another four ships including an armored cruiser.

Rozhestvensky gave as good as he got through, it was his crews that hurt him. None of my battleships had been sunk in the battle. A few through would need time in the body and fender shop through. The only ship of note my fleet lost was one of the Victoria Louise Class Protected Cruisers. She took two torpedoes and when turtle in minutes of that during the night action part of the battle. That ship had been the biggest lost of life on the German side. This battle gave us control of the Baltic which was what I wanted.

Playing Paradox Interactive games had been relaxing in a past life but doing where real people die and the fate of empires were on the line was a hell of a lot more demanding. So, I turned to something I enjoy, given there was a war on I wasn’t going shooting for the hell of it. But I had always enjoyed working on cars. Looking ahead I knew somethings would be needed to give Germany a fighting chance, and more than weapons. So that’s why I was working on a design for a radial tire.

It was also why I had gotten into a fight with the Reichstag over using the hard labor units that were being formed for prison labor to dig out mountains in Thuringia. They had other things they wanted to do with those units of various prison labor forming. Mostly more canal work. Me through I wanted to plan ahead. I wanted a location, honestly, multiple locations that I could use as a strategic reserve of resources. Failing that, maybe my own version of Cheyenne Mountain Complex. I doubted through I would live long enough to see that.

Frankly I didn’t care if people knew where my strategic reserves of resources were. If they were deep inside a mountain, they couldn’t do diddly to them. Not with the weapons that would likely be at hand for the next war. Unless someone came up with nukes or bunker busting guided bombs they would be harden from all attacks. The challenge had been to come with a reason to why having these people do this for their punishment was a good use of their efforts. Frankly I was thankful they brought what I was selling.

Red Cross Pt I

Marienwerder
Imperial German Army Evacuation Hospital
August 8 1904

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie Hohenzollern or as her family and friends knew her Lizi was currently in her nurse’s red cross uniform. She had just finished her legal training when this blasted war started. Instead of staying in Berlin to practice law or even be an officer’s wife she decided to volunteer. Then again, her father-in-law was actively encouraging senior royals within Germany to actively help the war effort in various ways. For Lizi she had decided to volunteer for the German Red Cross and help with the wounded that was caused by this war.

Given her status through she had been posted to evacuation hospital instead of the field hospitals. The evac hospital was where soldiers would end up if they need further surgery that couldn’t be performed at the field hospitals or needed a long recovery. If the latter the evac hospital was just a stopping point along the way of the German Army medical’s system. Those people would end up in long term rehab units or they would end up on the path to being discharged from the army and returning to the civilian world. Just now they would have a government disability pension.

She knew her husband was on the western front and she had heard from some doctors about the blood bath that was becoming. This was via an exchange program for medical personal that would happen every few months within the German army medical system. This was to spread knowledge and new ideas to allow them to save lives. It was from one of these doctors that they learned of the hell that was becoming the Western Front.

It was so bad that the French were refusing the idea of localized cease fires after battles to recover the wounded. The Germans had some medics who would risk what was becoming known as niemandsland to the German Army. This made her worry about her husband as she knew he was fighting there. In the last letter that she had gotten from him two weeks ago informed that he had been awarded the Iron Cross for bravery. She didn’t give a damn about that she just wanted a husband when this blasted war was over.

“Nurse Hohenzollern?”

“Yes doctor?” Lizi said as she turned around.

“Please come with me.”

“Yes sir.” Given her status she had become the de facto head nurse of this evac hospital. She would rally the nurses as well as boost the moral of the wounded. Then again, the Russian wounded that needed further medical treatment ended up at a different evac hospital that had a far larger element of military police there. It was one of a few reasons she had been posted to this evac hospital as wounded Russian prisoners made use of the same field hospitals as German wounded did.

Lizi turned back and finished her duties with this wounded solider who had lost his leg just above his knee. He had been unlucky and had his knee so destroyed by a piece of shrapnel that the doctors had to take the rest of his leg as they would never be able to fix the damage to the knee. “Gefreiter you did your duty, just relax now. We will take care of you.”

“Thank you ma’am.” He said.

At that Lizi followed the doctor to one of the rooms here. With them being an evac hospital they were making use of a building instead of the tents of the field hospitals. As such the more senior doctors had their own offices. Once the door was close the chief surgeon of this hospital spoke, “Nurse I had just been informed that the Russians had just started a new offensive against our lines. So, we are expecting an influx of wounded to becoming our way. I want to let your nurses know what is coming and what we are expecting of them.”

“Yes sir.”

They talked for a few brief moments before they both left the room. Lizi when about speaking with her various nurses about what was coming their way.

So far outside the limited offensive in the west early in the war Germany had stayed largely defensive this war. This was to allow the army time to mobilize new armies and get them trained up. This was to allow them to reform the strategic reserve again along with making sure those who were being brought up into military service wouldn’t die horrible deaths in effort to plug the line. So far it was working. These units through wouldn’t be ready till the spring of next year through.

The Dogs of War Pt V; Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Student Dormitory of Campus (Redacted)
April 13 2020

The smell of beer was in the air. Not that anyone here had spilled their beer. As the punishment for that offense was, they would have to clean the whole room by themselves or with others who committed that offense. No one wanted to do it so they were all careful with their beer. Then again unlike universities in other nations the German Empire had a far different view on beer and other hard sprits and university. In Germany it was accepted that students would drink. There however was a difference between social drinking and binge drinking/alcoholism. The first was viewed as a positive whereas the latter would run the risk of being kicked out of University. The same was true of the AS Program. Students in drank socially but never like some of their brothers and sisters would at their stays in university in their home nations as too much was on the line.

For the students of the korp here had started drinking once The Gathering Storm had ended. This was part of tradition on movie night. Once the movie was over beer would be had as students broke off into smaller groups to talk about the movie itself. Movies picked out for movie night were to be enjoyable but would also invoke thought. With The Gathering Storm it had done both, and it did this beyond well.

Louis found himself in a table with Jim who was the only other American here. Then there was Isabella from Argentina. Jian was from the Republic of China. Finally, there was Gul from Kabul itself. Then again calling Afghanistan a nation at this point was being generous. Kabul through with a few other cities in that war torn nation served as neutral ground trade could happen between the various factions that ruled the countryside and the rest of the world.

“I don’t understand why the French kept doing that?” Isabella said. “They had to understand after the first couple of times that throwing men against machine guns just couldn’t work.” Isabella was speaking of the part of the movie where Ingrid’s husband died in effort to reach wounded soldiers after the latest French push to break the lines.

Putting his beer stein down Louis picked up next, “They didn’t have a choice. Paris knew they were on a timer. They had to achieve a breakthrough or become a modern version of the French Empire under Napoleon and die under a British blockade.”

“They were suffering how many people killed and wounded per day and they still didn’t give up? How come they didn’t try something else? I just doesn’t make sense to me.” Jian asked.

Louis was the de facto history nerd here. Even through the AS program was meant to bring foreign students up to only Gymnasium levels before they when to a proper university, the students here were all aiming for hard science degrees of various types; even Louis. He however loved history but didn’t want to make a career out of it. He knew too many history majors who finished at the top of their class working at big box stores back in America.

“From what Paris and TLAN states it ran somewhere between 35 to 45,000 per day for casualties. That ran till they had to reorganize their forces. Turning that time, they tried to think of a better way of attacking the Germans. However, going through the Netherlands wasn’t the answer. It was known that Wilhelmina was willing to flood her nation if someone tried to invade her nation. So, going through the Netherlands wasn’t the answer.” Louis stated as he recalled facts he read while he was on Christmas vacation this past year. Students in the AS program could travel home if they wished but most stayed here. He was researching things for a fiction book he wanted to write when he had the time on the First World War.

“What I don’t stand is how could a nation accept that kind of high casualty rate for any length of time.” Jim interjected. “Even in Cóndor War on 2009, everyone was screaming about the high casualty rates in that war. It never got anywhere close to those levels.” During that two-month war casualties have been at most a few hundred per day.

“Neither nation could support casualties that high Jim.” Isabella added quickly. She remembered the Cóndor War all do well. Then again South America seem to had these kinds of wars often and was one of the reasons she jumped at the chance to part of the AS program. “There you talking with nations with 12 million in Ecuador and 29 million in Peru or give and take on those numbers. If they had those kind of losses riots would break out in short order.”

Louis spoke next, “Things back then were very different. I don’t think if war broke out between the Shanghai Pact and GATO with TLAN staying out it, their population wouldn’t support the war with those kind of casualty rates.”

Top Down Overview: Fall 1904

Berlin
Stadtschloss
September 11 1904

Currently only a few officers and NCOs were manning this room. Their relief would be here in a few minutes so they could rack out. It was this time I enjoyed the most as I studied the map tables as I was largely left to myself. It gave me time to think clearly and prep for the coming day. I knew damn well I was a ranked amateur as a flag officer in the military. While I was a good amateur, normally, I got schooled by my professional officers in table top war games. Even Gary Grigsby’s games didn’t really give someone the prep needed to be a proper staff officer never mind a general officer in a real war.

Still my job wasn’t to lead armies in the field. No, my job was more to be that angel or devil; depending on what I was trying to achieve; on the shoulder of my generals. It was also my job to be a judge of character for senior postings. I had done my damnest to weed out those who couldn’t accept the technological driven change to warfare that was happening. My generals would admit that I would make a top notice company commander, but that honestly didn’t surprise me as much as you think it would. When I had been in the army I had loved small unit actions the most.

Currently I was looking at the map of the Manchurian-Korean Theater. The Japanese were laying siege to Port Arthur right now and had cut off the Russians from the Liaodong Peninsula. A lot of luck and skill had when into these victories that allowed the Japanese to achieve this. From what intelligence I have seen the Russians weren’t reinforcing the Manchurian Theater instead focusing on their European and Caucasus fronts instead. So, with every victory the Japanese were growing stronger and the Russians were growing weaker.

On the naval front there, I knew of a naval battle taking place there. The Japanese had taken Hill 203 a few days ago and were moving siege artillery to the hill in an effort to destroy the Russian battle fleet in Port Arthur. So far, a few naval battles had taken place in the Yellow Sea but none of them were clear cut on who won them. With the Japanese moving artillery on to Hill 203 and fall starting Makarov must had decided to make for Vladivostok instead of allowing his fleet to be destroyed by Japanese land base guns. I didn’t know the how this battle when or if even was still on going. All I knew before I when to bed last night was Makarov had made an attempted sortie out of Port Arthur and Togo was engaging him.

Moving on from there I when over to the Caucasus Theater map. The Ottomans had entered the war two weeks ago. The Ottomans weren’t shitting the bed which was a good sign. They however weren’t making gains either even through they were on the offensive which wasn’t a good sign. I heard through some of the sources I had detached to the Ottoman Army that there was increasing blame on the Armenians in some quarters there. I had already made a note of that and was working to see if I could stop the genocide that I knew was coming if this when unchecked.

And given what was happening with Crete and the Greeks I knew I had to move sooner rather than later. Plus, it would be only a matter of time before Bulgaria declared its full independence from the Ottoman Empire. With those two things I knew the Ottomans would want to be tearing a new one out of the Armenians which they could do something about.

The Romanians had also entered the war after being reinforced with troops from the British Indian Army. They were mounting an offensive into Bessarabia right now. They were gaining some ground but the lack of heavy artillery was hurting their efforts to advance against the Russians in Bessarabia. The Russians were also doing a creditable job there. I wonder how long before the generals they had in Bessarabia were sent north to face my armies.

Even through the Russians seemed to being do well in the Caucasus and Bessarabia, the same couldn’t be said of the Congress of Poland/East Prussian Front. The Russian Vistula Campaign had been nothing but a disaster for them. My generals had forced the surrender of the Russian Fourth Army when they were able to get in between the seams between it and the Russian Ninth and Fifth Armies and cut it off. From the reports both the Ninth, Sixth, and Fifth Armies took a beating in the campaign. Further in the counter attack my forces were able to advance to take Lodz and Plock which was now forming the new front lines and taken some of the threat away from Posen. However, the armies there were now pausing and regrouping after a month of heavy combat.

Nothing was really happening on my Western Front at the moment. The British were refusing to commit their army there. Instead, they were keeping it on the British Isles out of fear of an invasion. I privately laughed at the idea. The French were back in a holding pattern after their latest efforts to attack my lines had failed. Calling that front a meat grinder would be an insult to a meat grinder. Having briefly worked in a meat department in retail before getting my college degree no meat grinder would grind that much meat and still be working. I didn’t understand how the French thought an infantryman’s bare chest would hold up against machine gun fire. Even more so when backed up with artillery and mortars. Still it took the liberal use of Willie Pete to break up some of the more hard pressed French attacks. It was a madness I didn’t understand.

The Franco-Italian front was largely the same. Not much was happening there. Then again neither the Italians or French wanted to test the others defenses in the Alps. Frankly I didn’t blame them. The Italians however had decided to mount a landing on Corsica near Basita since they had an army doing much of nothing. If they had been facing anything other that reservist of the French Territorial Army along with fortress troops they would had been in serious trouble there. Even then it had been a bloody beating and it had barely worked. Even with their beachhead at Basita I really didn’t see what the hell the Italians were trying to do there.

Before I got to the colonial maps through, I saw the new officers and NCOs coming in for the morning shift. With the staff change I made the way my to my office to receive my morning intelligence report.

Map 1904

Here is a map of the World before the start of the War with permission of Smitty.

Si vis pacem, para bellum Pt I

Aachen
Theater Aachen
September 27 1904

“Its good to see you again Theodore.” I said in English.

“Its good to see you as well Wilhelm.” Theodore Roosevelt said. We had remained in touch ever since my visit to the United States of America when he was the mayor of New York City. Since I met him through, he had become a war hero in the US having earned the Medal of Honor in the Spanish-American War a few years ago. He also was a failed candidate to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States of America. That had been in the effort to see who would be at the top of the ticket in this year’s presidential election. The race was between Philander Knox who was running against Nelson Miles to see who take over for McKinley next year. It honestly surprised me that McKinley was still alive. If Knox won it was likely Theodore would find a cabinet position in his administration.

Even through the Republican Party bosses didn’t like Theodore’s progressive ideas they knew he was gifted in many areas and liked by people. Further they knew he had connections with me. So, they McKinley decided to send a fact finding mission to find out what us Europeans were up to, Theodore was put in charge of this mission.

The sound was faint but if you knew what to listen to for you could hear. I knew that was coming from the 21 cm howitzers and some other siege artillery. There was even some old naval artillery that was now mounted on railway carriages from decommissioned ironclads adding to the hell that was about 40 kilometers away.

At the moment I was using the theater here in Aachen to meet with the American fact-finding team. Currently the military team was being briefed by Hauptmann Adolf von Brauchitsch on some of the things we were issuing them. Notably the stahlhelm because frankly I didn’t want these Americans dying while they were trying to learn about this war.

Theodore spoke, “I have to say Wilhelm, I’m surprised you hadn’t taken to the offensive. Given what the press is saying of your defense arts I figured this war would be over by now if you had taken to the offensive. Or Christmas at the latest.”

I just smiled. “Theodore anytime I hear the war will be over by Christmas, my gut instinct is to run to the armory and break out every bloody rifle I can find to every person in uniform. Wars are rarely over quickly. To assume otherwise is folly.” The newly formed armies that had been called up were getting close to being ready to deploy as the strategic reserve was being reformed. It just was too late in the year however to mount a major offensive. So, everything was being focused on spring next year while our industry kicked into high gear making large amounts of weapons and other things needed for the war.

The debate that was raging was who should we attack first as we couldn’t attack both France and Russia while having enough troops for a strategic reserve and maintain an eye on the Austro-Hungarians. I was personally leaning to attacking the French. This was more so I didn’t turn this section of Belgium and the frontier areas that currently made up the Franco-German Border into a hell scape that it was rapidly becoming permanently. I didn’t want the land adding to my empire to be that hot of mess that the front lines in WWI created in France.

Intelligence however was noting a critical weakness in Russia, lack of weapons. When we had forced the Russian Fourth Army, they didn’t have enough Mosin-Nagant rifles for all the infantry we took as prisoners. Indeed, it seemed like a 1/3 of the infantry were unarmed ammo bearers. Further a number of Berdan rifles had shown up there. Not in major numbers through. It was believed by intelligence those were issued to rear echelon to free up Mosin-Nagant rifles for the infantry.

My statement to Theodore through cause him to look at me differently. “Take your civil war,” I started with, “In 1861 didn’t everyone think that the war would be over by Christmas? Well, if not everyone than the majority did? As Lincoln only called for volunteers for three months after Fort Sumter. The war however didn’t end till Appomattox in 1865. It’s the same throughout history.”

As a former history teacher, I had to really brush up on my American Civil War history in that life. This was because after my first year of teaching and having to deal with a number of Lost Causers I became hell bent on shutting those folks down. I sent that whole first summer either working at a grocery store or reading books on that war. Even decades after the after I still remembered a lot of the information I learned from that summer. That said, I could see Theodore was impress with my knowledge of the American Civil War.

Theodore spoke in Latin next, “Si vis pacem, para bellum?”

“Ja.” I replied simply.

Building Alliances Pt III

Near, Prachin Buri
Railhead
October 14 1904

Gefreiter Wilhelm Hundertmark hadn’t been expecting to be back in uniform again yet he was. However, when war came, he had been assigned to another labor battalion. When war came through, he had been recalled to service like others who had taken part in the Strafbataillons of the China War. Once again, the Kaiser was offering clemency to those in the prisons of the empire for hard labor services to advance the war effort. Like last time these offers of clemency were not being made to those charged with murder, attempted murder, rape, or having something to do with the 19 Days.

Unlike last time things were different for Hundertmark. Instead of coming out prison like the majority of those in this unit, he had settled down after being granted his clemency back in 1902. He now had a Hlai wife who was just starting to show her pregnant belly when he had boarded the steamer that brought him to Siam. He also had just started training to be a switchman for Hainan Linien after spending a few years of being a simple laborer for them. It reflected that instead of being a simple Arbeiter this time. He was now a Gefreiter and de facto foreman for a section within this Strafbataillion.

The job this time was to support Germany’s newest ally Siam. The Siamese had just entered the war in the last month against the French. This was after a massive shipment of arms from the United States and Germany had landed in Bangkok. The arms from the United States had been brought by Germany for the Siamese to help boost their army in this fight. These had been mostly Winchester Model 1895s in 7 mm Mauser.

However, the Siamese rail system was not in the best shape. As such Hundertmark and those in this Strabataillion were helping the Siamese getting their rail system in better shape to support their advance into French Indochina so they wouldn’t be so depended on coastal shipping or dirt roads and wagons. This wasn’t the easiest of task. They were just coming out of the rainy season here which meant everything was damp as all hell. Further they were having to cut through thick jungle to clear the path that the survey crew had selected to lay the rail line to support this offensive.

Another difference for Hundertmark was this time he had been issued a weapon. The weapon he had been issued was an old M1879 Reichsrevolver. This wasn’t to kill people but more as a means to defend those under him from the wildlife of the Siamese jungles. He already had to kill a Sun Bear that had gotten to close even through it had taken three rounds to put that bear down for good. If it wasn’t for the officer who saw it later, Hundertmark would sworn he had killed a cat of some kind.

They still had a lot of work to do. There however were somethings that were different given to where they were operating. Every man here had been issued what they were calling mosquito nets to sleep with to keep it from being bit by mosquitos. This had been missed by Hundertmark but someone had linked mosquitos to the transmutation of tropical diseases. They also had a large number of what were being called mosquito coils being burned in effort to keep mosquitos away from them. So far it seemed to be working as the number of those sick in his battalion seemed to be less than what he had expected when he found out he was being shipped to Siam.

Teaching Moments Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
November 3 1904

“Look at the map and tell me how you would secure a new border with the French and Belgians son.” I asked my eldest son. It currently was around 10 pm local time with the overnight just having taken over for the afternoon-evening staff that manned my headquarters during this war. My eldest was assigned to this staff after having been given a commission into the German Army. Then again, I was expecting all those age who had royal positions to do something for the war effort. This had started after he asked me again what our goals were trying to understand what I was aiming for and why I was doing some of the things I was.

This however was a teaching moment with junior. I already had been working with a set of teams from the army, the foreign ministry, and the treasury ministry on how to best craft a peace treaty with both the French, Belgians, and Russians. Come April we would mount an offensive against the French and Belgians, to break their lines and get into their rear and hopefully pocket a large part of their armies. Destroy them than turn on Paris and force the French to surrender. This was while we were keeping the Russians at arms length before we turned on them and mounted an offensive against them in 1906 and hopefully end this blasted war. That’s was the plan anyways. Plus, I was hoping to have a few new surprises ready by the time the offensives started.

I could see junior studying the map for a while as he thought about how to go about it. Given the French had invaded Luxembourg as part of their effort to outflank our defensives on the border had opened up a path that I was working on taking. Currently I was in talks with Adolphe about his Grand Duchy joining the German Empire as a member state. There was work to smooth over hard feelings about Prussia annexing Nassau in 1866 as that was how Adolphe lost his first duchy. Yet he had seen the white-hot economy of Germany pre-war. Money would smooth over a lot of issues. Plus, the British seem opened to the idea.

“We should annex what remains in French hands of both Alsace and Lorraine. Possibly take some the better food producing regions of Champagne-Ardenne that are close to Lorraine from the French. From the Belgians we should take Belgium Luxembourg and Liege.”

‘Wow he thinks big.’ I thought. “Ok moving on to the colonies, what do you take?” I said as I wrote down his answer.

At that he moved over the maps I had out of Africa and Asia. After thinking about it for another moment, “French Gabon, Congo, Ubangi-Shari, Chad, Upper Senegal and Niger, and Dahomey in Africa. In China their holdings on the Leizhou Peninsula.”

‘Fuck he really is going go big or go home.’ Was my thought as I wrote all this down. It also would never fly. Maybe if we had been alone in this war without British support, but I had to take into account the British. It was why I had forced the decision to go after the French first. If we took the French out first there was at least an even chance of breaking off White Russia and the Ukraine off along with Poland, the Baltic States and Finland. If we when Russian first along with having endless kilometer after kilometer to withdraw into, if the Russians were knocked out first that would force London to take measures to make sure our gains out of the French were limited to form a counterweight to our new power. “Now lets move on to other things you would take at the peace table from France.”

Junior clearly lost himself in thought at this one for a moment before speaking. “An indemnity that will cripple France for generations. It’s clear that 1871 wasn’t large enough to keep the French from rearming themselves and attacking us. This indemnity will have to be at least twenty-fold, possibly larger than what was forced on them in Frankfurt. Then they need to made pay for all the German patents they had copied over the past 15 years that they had not paid for, and paid with interest.”

Once I finished writing everything down I spoke, “That is an impressive list son. But we have to remember we have allies in this war. Further the British would never accept that in terms of territory taken away from the French. Never mind the economic parts you had just listed.

He looked at me, “How would you do it then dad?” Junior asked wondering what was going on here.

I when back over to the French map and pointed at two cities that were in spitting distance of our borders. “Longwy and Briey account for a large part of French iron ore mined every year. With the hunger our economy has for steel, even with all the iron mines within our empire we still can’t meet demand for it or come anywhere close to. Because of this we still import Swedish iron, and even limited amounts of iron ore from the United States to meet the demand for steel. These two are really the only economically worth while targets that we should be taking.” Given on the figures even Longwy and Briey wouldn’t end our dependence on Swedish iron ore. We however would be able to stop importing from the US.

“With those two towns down and the territory around them, all that is left is defensive positions for future wars. Here we can move up to the Meurthe River which gives us better defensive positions with the French.” There had been some debate as going as far as the Moselle River instead of Meurthe. Yet Nancy and the area between the Meurthe and Moselle had too many Frenchmen for my liking. “With the Meurthe running into Vosges Mountains which is another wonderful defensive position. Finally, there is Belfort and the Belfort Gap. Sitting between the Vosges and Jura Mountain ranges it’s the only possible place the French have left to mount a proper offensive without sticking their johnson into a meat grinder, well again.” I said.

That got junior to winch in pain as he thought about how I worded that. “With this our borders with the French are more or less as secure as they will be with a number of French that would be acceptable and we can deal with. Moving north to Belgium, Belgian Luxembourg is sparsely populated which makes it idea for annexation. Further a large part of the region has the Ardennes Forrest there. Which is will give the defender better ground to defend from a possible assault.”

I paused for a moment to take a drink of water. “Adding Liege while it would be a boom would create issues with our allies. We are known for advance weapon systems world wide, and if we take Liege we would add industrial mass to our weapon industries. Which would cause a lot of ruffled feathers.” I stated. It also pained me because I wanted Liege as well, but it wasn’t going to happened.

“Moving on to the colonies, British interest is in West Africa. Our interest lay in Central Africa. So we should be able to gain French Gabon, Congo, and Ubangi-Shari with little in the way of problems. Chad, Upper Senegal and Niger, and Dahomey might have to be let go for the British to take them. That would have to be settled at the peace table.” Frankly I was willing to give up Upper Senegal and Niger and Dahomey to get Chad. There was a metric shit ton of oil there. If I recalled correctly, it was largely in Southern Chad. So I was willing to give the British worthless desert to get the oil reserves of Chad.

Looking over at the Asian map, “The British already occupy Zhanjiang and are unlikely to give that up at the peace table, or not at a cost I’m willing to pay if they were willing to give it up. The British also control Chusan right now. Siam is moving against French Indochina. The British Indian Army is moving on Yunnan. So both of those areas are not happening. The British would likely reject any of our claims to what remains of Indochina. With the remaining French Island chains having already fallen to Australian and New Zealand forces, we will have to pick and choose of the trash bin to get anything in Asia.”

I doubted the Japanese would have the ability to support a vassal state in Vietnam in the aftermath of this war. Not with the moves that were happening in Korea along with promising them the lion share of Manchuria and all of Sakhalin at the peace table. Maybe a Mongolian vassal might work but I couldn’t see it with Vietnam not with what the British at the table. Even then Japanese resources were going to be stretched to the breaking point.

Personally, I was hoping to add Weizhou Island, Paracel Islands, and Spratly Islands. Right now, those islands were worth jack and shit. Weizhou through would make a lovely island to perform ELINT missions along with other things against China once they got their shit together. The Paracel and Spratly Islands because of their location along with all that oil that China seemed to be hell bent on controlling in the world I came from. They however were long term plays and things I might not get.

“Moving on to economics, yes the French should have to pay an indemnity. That indemnity however should not be back breaking on the French economy. The last thing we need is an unstable nation on our borders. Further we are going to have to share any such indemnity with the British and the Italians. While the indemnity will be larger than 1871 as was forced on the French at Frankfurt, it shouldn’t break their nation to the point they can’t pay it and we never see a single pfenning. You are right the French should have to pay for all the patents they had taken from us and not paying for. This however should be done to what a court of law will normally award in such cases. This should be amounts that we assigned to punish the French, but acceptable and fair amounts.”

“Finally,” I started, “Those in the newly annexed areas may not want to live under our rule. They should be given the choice of remaining in our new borders or moving back to areas under the control of the Third Republic or the new British backed king of Belgium. If they move back to the Third Republic or the Kingdom of Belgium, Paris and Brussels should foot the bill to help them to move back.” I stated. I hoped that would get rid of those who didn’t want to be Germans. I was also hoping a white-hot economy would cause them to over look their nationalist pride and stay and in time become good Germans for those who stayed. Plus the fuck ups of the French in this war plus whatever crazy stuff that would happen in Paris make the German tri-colors look like the better choice.

My son was looking at me an awe. “Son sometimes a surgical scalpel is what is called for. Your idea is trying to surgery with a bayonet. While it can be done, its far from idea and the mess left to clean up more than likely will not be worth it.” I added as I reached for more water to drink.

Cloak Then Dagger Pt II

Lyon
Railway Station
December 15 1904

His passport said his name was Gunther Fleming of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Gunther was from Graz and was currently here in Lyon on business speaking with various figures in the French industrial sector about buying Austro-Hungarian machine tools and equipment to help them in their war effort. This equipment was to be transported to France via Switzerland given French ports had been closed off via the blockade of the various navies operating off the shores of France itself.

The Royal Navy had found that the days of a close blockade were over after having lost a few older iron clads, battleships, and cruisers to French coastal submarines with heavy lost of life. This caused the Royal Navy to shift to a somewhat more distance blockade. This opened up the possibly of a limited number of blockade runners making to a French port, and indeed a few had, the open question was would it be enough to make up for the massive short falls in various areas that French traded for pre-war. Further the Royal Navy was improving its game and making life on blockade runners even harder with every passing month.

For Gunther that really didn’t matter. Hell, his name wasn’t even Gunther through even through he would swear up and down that it was if asked. Hauptmann Martin Padovaner knew he was playing a dangerous game here if the French managed to catch him. He was operating on his own with no support. His side arm was an 1862 Colt Police Revolver. It was something that could be hidden well and not be traced back to Germany. Personally, he wished he had something more modern than that but he had been deny his request for a John Browning pocket pistol even through those things could be found everywhere in Europe.

After the clash training course, he and a number of other officers when through they were deployed to France. They had a simple mission to raise hell with various French targets of opportunity as they could be found. So far for Martin his target of choice was French trains. Someone in Germany had come up with something that looked like a piece of coal but was high explosives that would go off when burned. He would drop it areas coal would be kept for trains then walk away. Normally a few days later he would hear about some French locomotive suffering a boiler explosion. So far, he knew he had accounted three locomotive engines.

The French however was starting to expect something as they were starting to guard areas where coal was. So, Martin was on a scouting and intelligence meeting right now as he looked for other targets before returning home. As he waited for a train to travel back to Geneva, he was reading a newspaper. In the paper it was informing the French people that to help with the war effort various copper coins where being withdrawn from circulation. They were going to be replaced with zinc coins. There was also a call on the French people to turn in their copper pots and pans to help with the war effort.

On the war itself, they were staying they were planning a victory offensive to take place in early spring next year. Details on this however were limited as Martin expect it to be. Given how many families have already lost brothers, sons, and fathers in this war, Martin just assume they had to say something to keep people’s hopes up. But from he had seen so far was the French people were still hell bent on winning this war. Even as the human cost of it was adding up.

1904 Year in Review

War Were Declared

Side One: The German Empire, The British Empire & Dominions, The Kingdom of Italy, The Japanese Empire, The Ottoman Empire, The Kingdom of Sweden, The Kingdom of Romania, The Kingdom of Portugal, The Republic of the United States of Brazil, The Rattanakosin Kingdom, The Korean Empire

Side Two: The Russian Empire, The Third Republic of France, The Kingdom of Belgium

Key Neutrals: The Austro-Hungarian Empire, The United States of America,

Domestic

Hard Labor Act of 1904

This is dealing with civilians what are charged and found guilty in military courts in the occupied areas. This deals with their treatment and make sure its to a degree acceptable even if they are doing demanding labor. Further it details what they could and couldn’t be assigned to work on. Some projects like the on going effort to expand the Kiel Canal is off limits to these laborers given the military importance of the canal. Other infrastructure projects that had to be shut down to lack of labor after the start of the war is fine through.

Strafbataillon Act of 1904

Largely a repeat of the version used during the China War. But the veterans of the Strafbataillons from the China War were recalled as well but they can have limited promotions and become an Unteroffizier. If those veterans service with honor again, they will be discharged as soon as the war is over. But if they had been promoted they will be entitled to veteran benefits. Those who are new to the Strafbataillons through will have to served for five years or the length of the war. Which is ever longer.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Potsdam

This is a three-way treaty between Germany, Korea, and Japan. This treaty is a complex and roughly hatched out affair. The broad strokes of this treaty are through as follows. Korea will remain an independent nation. This independence is guaranteed by both the German Empire and the Japanese Empire. Korea however grants both nations rights that go beyond most favoured nation status in term economic terms. Korea also now in a defensive treaty with both Germany and Japan. Further still this treaty grants Germany a naval base at Wŏnsanjin and Japan a naval base at Haeju. These naval base leases are in perpetuity leases. Both Germany and Japan promised to help build up Korean industry under this treaty but there are some clauses that will favor both German and Japanese industrial players over Korean ones.

For Japan directly Wilhelm states that Japan will gain Sakhalin, and the bulk of Manchuria. Given the wording of the treaty it would be roughly OTL Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. It will not be a perfect one for one, but close enough. He didn’t promise the Japanese any indemnities through. No financial promises were made at all.

German-Ottoman Treaty, June 1904

This treaty was set the wheels in motion for the Ottomans to join in the war. It stated that massive arm shipments would be shipped to the Ottomans. Further a German Military Assistance Command would form to help the Ottomans. This command would be led by General der Infanterie Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. It stated at the end of the war the Ottomans would regain both Kars and Batum at the peace table. It also stated debt relief would be forthcoming. It however stated the Ottomans would overlook the Greeks annexing Crete during the war. This is also partly covered in a treaty the Ottomans signed with the British that would see a number of ships enter the Ottoman Navy.

German-Siamese Treaty

Like the first German-Ottoman Treaty this treaty was critical for getting the Siamese into the war. It not only outlined what territories were promised to them at the end of such war. It also gave the Siamese major economic and military aid to help them to modernize their nation to better fight the French. Like with the Ottomans, the Siamese saw a German Military Assistance Command form to help them fight against the French. This command is led by General der Infanterie Paul von Hindenburg. Given there were two after this Treaty one in the Middle East became Military Assistance Command; Ottoman and the one in Southeast Asia became Military Assistance Command; Siam.

German-Ottoman Treaty, October 1904

When Wilhelm saw the signs of the Ottomans gearing up to perform the Armenian Genocide, he stepped in an effort to stop it or at least not have it end in mass death. This treaty is the outcome of that. Under this treaty Armenians who had been found guilty of crimes by the Ottoman Special Military Tribunal that are not sentenced to death shall be deported from the Ottoman Empire and given a passport to the German colonies. A lot of people were out right bribed in the Ottoman Empire to get this treaty done.

Foreign Regions

United States

Stabilizing

Britain

Excellent

France

War Were Declared

Italy

Improving

Austria-Hungary

To stay the relationship is in the gutter would be insulting to the gutter.

Russia

War Were Declared

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Forward: I’m not covering every bloody new small army the Germans have adopted and given official names to in the effort to meet demand for this war. Just to give you an idea what is happening things like the Luger, C96 Broomhandle, Winchester 1895s in 7 Mauser, and so on have been adopted and being used. Granted most of these are see service in second line units or the colonies, but these are just some of the guns the Germans are buying. At the start of the war the Germans are akin to Kevin Costner in The Highwaymen when he walks into the gun shop. The Germans want all the guns.

Maschinenpistole 04

Mass: 4.15 kg
Length: 835 mm
Cartridge: 9 mm Para
Action: Blow Back
Rate of Fire: 350 RPM
Feed System: 20 Round Stick magazines

7.5 cm Feldkanone 04 (Krupp Stock Gun)

Mass: 1,085 kg
Barrel Length: L/30
Breech: Horizontal Sliding Breech
Recoil: Hydro-Spring
Carriage: Split
Rate of Fire: 8 RPM (Sustained), 14 RPM (Brust)

10 cm Feldhaubitze 04 (Krupp Stock Gun)

Mass: 1,150 kg
Barrel Length: L/16
Breech: Horizontal Sliding Breech
Recoil: Hydro-Spring
Carriage: Split
Rate of Fire: 8 RPM (Sustained), 16 RPM (Brust)

13.5 cm Kanone 04 (Krupp Stock Gun)

Mass: 7,980 kg
Barrel Length: L/36
Breech: Horizontal Sliding Block
Recoil: Hydro-Pneumatic
Carriage: Split
Rate of Fire: 3 RPM (Sustained), 6 RPM (Brust)

15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 04 (Krupp Stock Gun)

Mass: 2,300 kg
Barrel Length: L/11
Breech: Interrupted Screw
Recoil: Hydro-Spring
Carriage: Split
Rate of Fire: 4 RPM (Sustained), 8 RPM (Brust)

15 cm Kanone 04

Mass: 11,080 kg
Barrel Length: L/43
Breech: Horizontal Sliding Block
Recoil: Hydro-Pneumatic
Carriage: Split
Rate of Fire: 3 RPM (Sustained), 6 RPM (Brust)

Z-25 Class Destroyers

650 tons Standard Load, 2 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 32 kts

12 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

Colonial Warfare Pt I

Fort Archambault, French Chad, German Occupied
Governor’s Resistance
January 8 1905

Hauptmann Jürgen Müller was waking up with a slight hangover. Then again, the news the regiment of received yesterday was a cause for celebration. In the German Army both the Imperial German Army and the Schutztruppe when a unit would go above and beyond the call of duty, they would be given recognition of their achievements. It was a three-tier system. The first time a unit would be honor for such actions they would become the Royal put unit information here. If a unit would to be honored again, they would replace the Royal prefix with the Honor Royal. Finally, there was the final tier where if a unit would be honor in such a way again, they would become known as the Kaiser’s Own which would replace the Honor Royal title prefixed they had prior to this honor.

For Müller and the men of the 1. Schutztruppe had just been informed that the unit had become the first Schutztruppe unit to be honored in the new system of unit honors. They were now the 1. Royal Schutztruppe. This honor was being given to the men for their force march from Bangui to where they were now pulling garrison duty at in Fort Archambault. The straight-line distance between the two locations was just under 550 kilometers. The path the 1. Royal Schutztruppe took during their forced march was closer to 750 kilometers.

It was a hell of a march. But it was the pace for which they made it along with a number of battles they had with the French colonial forces along the way was the reason for the honor. On the average from what Müller knew they made 130 paces per the minute from what one of his NCOs told him when they weren’t in contact with the Frogs. He believed it to. Its been over two months since they had captured Fort Archambault from the French and his legs were still sore from that forced march through the jungle.

Over the brutal two and half weeks of the campaign that had been expected to take four weeks, the men of the unit had taken 109 French prisoners. They had killed at least another 56 as they had the body count of that many. They had picked up another 172 Gras Rifles off the battlefields they had cleared. Finally, they had captured a Reffye 85 mm cannon and two Canon obusier de 12 artillery pieces. Then again at the pace they were going they didn’t have time to totally clean the battlefields so they might of missed stuff and wasn’t counting the fall of the fort itself. Müller himself had an extra Modèle 1873 revolver with him that he hadn’t had when they started the march to this fort. That was on top of the Luger Pistol he had brought himself as his personal side arm a few years ago. Müller knew one of his NCOs had picked up a Remington Model 1858 in the march as well.

As Müller started to move, he thought about what he needed to do with his company today as he made his way to the Officer’s mess. They had been issued with new Winchester Model 1895 rifles to replace the old Mauser 71/84s they had been using before now. His men still needed training on these new rifles before going on another march as they were still learning their new rifles. The troops however were in love with their new rifles given the improvements in firepower and ease of loading over the older Mausers.

Prior to the war talk had been that the Schutztruppe could be expected to be reequipped with Mauser 1889s starting in 1906 as more of the Gewehr 02s entered service. The war had thrown that time table out the window. Instead of German made guns they were now using American made guns. For long through was a different story as Müller couldn’t see them keeping these American rifles in service once Mauser 1889s were ready for them.

They were still near the front line. The other large French settlement near them through was Fort-Lamy which had also fallen to troops of the Schutztruppe. However, to the east and north of the countryside hadn’t been secured. They had recce units acting as trip wire units if there was any one coming from those directions. Then again there wasn’t a lot out that way at the moment. If there were French units out that way they were cut off from resupply and orders from higher headquarters.

Honoring Heroes Pt I

Aachen
Military Drill Grounds
January 23 1905

Directly ahead of me was a single medic of the German Army. He was newly promoted to the rank of gefreiter after having been only corpsman for the 20 or so months he had been in the army. This promotion was in part because he was on his way to being medically discharged from the army. It was also in part because of the fact the Blue Max now hung around his neck. He had earned the Blue Max for his actions on the field of battle. You could see the reason he was being medically discharged. There was some bad facial scaring on the left side of his face. On one hand he was missing three fingers, on the other two were gone. I also knew he was missing a foot even through that wasn’t something I could see. That was because of a prosthesis foot that he was now wearing.

This was the first case of someone being awarded the Pour le Mérite since it was reformed for actions on the battlefield where no weapon had been used. It was more commonly known as the Blue Max, but since the reforming of the award system the Blue Max had only been awarded for gallantry on the battlefield that when beyond the call of duty. The Blue Max in the new German Army wasn’t being awarded to staff officers or general officers. They could be awarded other orders of chivalry for what they did. If someone was awarded the Blue Max through it was for actions solely on the battlefield where their life had been in danger.

As part of my effort to reform Germany I had reached out to the various sects of the religious world that believed in pacifism. I knew these groups had something to offer Germany and they wanted to leave the empire because they were rightfully worried, they would be drafted into the army and forced to break their beliefs. So, I when to these pacifist sects of Christianity and offered them a compromise. I simply couldn’t end the drafting young German males. Not with hostile nations on my eastern and western borders when I made this deal. So instead of carrying arms for Germany they could serve in positions where they help the wounded. This included being combat medics. It had help stem the flow of these Germans leaving the empire for a chance of a life elsewhere. The man before me had come from one of these pacifisms based Christian sects. So, this was going to get a lot of play in the press that he had earned the Blue Max on the field of battle.

On the western front a number of medics had been awarded the Iron Cross or the Distinguished Service Medal for their bravery there. This was because these men were braving the fire of the French to reach German wounded or even French and Belgian wounded soldiers. The problem was the French were refusing to agree to localized cease fires in effort to deal with the wounded. Even the Russians would agree to those. The French through for whatever reason wouldn’t agree to these localized cease fires. As such wounded men were being left on the battlefield to die if they couldn’t get back to their own lines. German medics through were willing to risk the hell that was no man’s land to get to these wounded soldiers. They were also paying a hell of a price for it.

Unknown to the medic before me, or the soldiers behind the medic work was underway to mount an offensive to break the stalemate that had befallen the western front. It would be the first major offensive of the German Army in the war as units were being moved into place. I hoped that the French would break with this and they would be out of the war by June.

Criminal Justice Pt II

Near Siegen
Hard Labor Camp
February 1 1905

Theo Dupont opened his eyes at the sound of reveille. It was the standard wake up call for the laborers of this site. As he opened his eyes, he could fill the cold of the air around him. This was notwithstanding the wool blanket that he had been issued. He was just too far away from the single stove that was used for heat in this shacked that him and the other laborers had to build after being assigned to this project for their hard labor sentences after their short stay at the Dortmund clearance center. Then again, this building such as it was timber framed with plywood siding and plywood roofing. It was a cheap building.

He knew he was still sore from the twelve-hour shift he had worked yesterday, today would be no different. It would be another 12 hours working on building this damn railway tunnel the Germans had assigned him and about 80 other civilians who had been sentenced to hard labor to perform their sentence at. While the work was demanding the commandant, who was in charge of the prisoners was fair. While the food wasn’t the greatest, they still got three meals per day. On Sunday’s instead of the normal twelve-hour day of work it was only half that. This was because the camp commandant brought in a priest to perform Sunday services. The camp commandant he had brought in a rabbi for the sole Jewish laborer here at various points. That however wasn’t as common through and seemed to happen only every other month.

However, if you were caught trying to escape or tried malingering to get out of work things got worse for you. If you were caught trying to escape or did escape you were put into solitary for 30 days. Then when you return to the camp and had to wear a pink uniform instead of the normal blue uniforms they wore. Plus, they would add another five years to your sentence for the attempted escape. For those trying to get out of work for malingering, it was a week of being on hard tack and water only. Granted they already ate a fair bit of hard tack already, but they were normally able to break it up into soups or some kind of other meal. A week of only hard tack was enough after that was found cause most to give up on the idea of getting out of work. If someone got violent, they were sent back to Dortmund for a trial there.

For Germany when the war started there were a number of ongoing infrastructure projects that were shut down because the army had massively increased conscription calls. The Rudersdorf Tunnel was one of two projects that had been restarted with the use of hard labor prisoners. The other was the Mittelland Canal project. Both projects were viewed as important enough to warrant the use of prison labor but not highly critical to the war effort. This was the reason the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal expansion project was not using these laborers. It was too crucial for the war effort to risk a prison laborer derailing that project.

As Theo got out of the bunk, he slept on to get his boots on to go to the mess tent for breakfast, he saw the guard coming into the building to make sure that all of the prisoners were still here. They came in here hourly to make sure no one had escaped. Only once did a prisoner here try to escape and that night had been hell for Theo and every other prisoner here. That prisoner only got not even a kilometer away from the camp itself before he had been found a few hours after escaping.

For the guards themselves Theo knew that they lived on a couple of old sleeping cars that had been brought in for them. They however were outside of the bared wire fence that was around the three buildings that housed the prisoners here. Unknown to Theo was that the guards themselves had just been reissued with new rifles. Instead, the Mauser 71/84s they had been using they had just been issued captured Russian Mosin-Nagant rifles. Germany was reusing capture equipment in second- and third-line units where it would be an improvement over older equipment they had at the moment. The only change to the Mosin rifles issued to these guards was a change in the sights from using Russian arshin to meters. Other than that, the rifles were unchanged. This was because they weren’t expecting these forces to be using large amounts of ammo and their captured ammo supply would be more than enough for these uses.

With his boots on, Theo picked up his heavy coat that he had been issued given the cold in the air. With that he started his was to the inspection area that they started every day at. It was here were if they had medical issues they could get treatment for. They would briefly talk to the medical staff before moving on to the chow tent. Here they would get a high calorie breakfast. While it wasn’t the best tasting food it would fill you up. Once the food was in him it was start the working day for him.

The Polish Question Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
February 6 1905

“Your majesty.” Was how I was greeted by Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Loë. His son[1] who was currently an Oberst who was recovering from his wounds on the Eastern Front said the same thing as they bowed. The elder Loë had come out of retirement at the start of the war. He was currently serving on the board that was dealing with the manpower requirements of the German military. I knew he was to old and poor of health for a proper field command. Still, he wanted to help Germany in this war.

“Please take a seat.” I said as I gestured for them to take their seats. It took a moment for both men to do so. One was because of age and ill health and the other was because he was still dealing with the aftermath of losing a leg on the front. He was already on the path to being medically retired from the army. I also knew if not for the sulfa drugs me and Dona worked hard on getting in out there, he would likely be dead. Then again, those drugs were saving many lives even if people were still losing their limbs. A lost limb I believe was a better choice than death.

Once they were both seated, I spoke, “Do either of you wish to guess why I asked for this meeting today?”

The senior von Loë spoke, “No sir we do not.”

“Very well then, let’s get started.”

At that I started to ask them questions. If I was honest with myself these two were interviewing for a job even if they didn’t know it. I knew there was no good way to eat the whole of Congress of Poland and not have endless stomach pain if not ulcers from that meal. The work I have done in Posen had eased a lot of the strains there, it wouldn’t work on something as large of the Congress of Poland through. Even more so I was aiming for a border that was around the Second Partition of Poland with White Ruthenia. This new Kingdom of Poland through wouldn’t be getting Lithuania.

Honestly, I was still undecided on the fate of Lithuania. Well outside of that it wouldn’t be going to the newly reformed Kingdom of Poland. Currently I was debating if I would annex Lithuania outright or create a duchy out of Lithuania. I know I was planning to form the Grand Duchy of the Baltic out of the other two Baltic States, but Lithuania was a wild card at the moment. It could become an independent duchy with a German prince ruling it and tied into an alliance with my nation or outright annexed and in couple years or a decade at most becoming a duchy within the German empire, still with a German prince. I just didn’t know yet.

Once I made of my mind on that it would affect how much if any land I would take out of the Congress of Poland. I knew damn well I wasn’t going down the Polish Border Strip idea that the Germany I knew of when down in the history I knew but was not happening because of me and Dona. No way in hell would that be workable unless highly extreme measures were taken. Those extreme measures would also kill any chance of a stable and allied Kingdom of Poland. It was basically a Kobayashi Maru scenario if I when for that much Polish land but left a rump Kingdom of Poland out there. If anything, it would be worse than the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

If I took anything out of the Congress of Poland it would be based on moving the eastern border out to the Warthe River than looping back to Kattowitz at the end of the river. The would be a manageable slice to deal with, at least I believed it would be. But I wasn’t sold on it. Its why I was looking at the Lithuania route as well. Each had their own pros and cons and I needed to decide how I was going to do it before getting to the peace table.

Still for the Kingdom of Poland idea I had I needed a king for it. The Catholic Royal Houses within my empire had no good choice to select from at current the moment. I knew enough that any role on the throne in Warsaw needed to be Catholic to have a chance of working. This was why I was speaking with the elderly Generalfeldmarschall and his son. It was clear to anyone at most the elder von Loë only had a few years left on this rock we called earth at most. So, he might become king for a brief moment but his son would be important so I needed to get to know the two Catholic officers before making a choice on moving forward on which German Catholic I would select to head up the knew Kingdom of Poland. I wasn’t making a choice today as I was still meeting with other notable German Catholics that had enough noble blood to become a king[2].

As part of my efforts to get a favorable view with the people of Poland I had already visited some of the areas that had already been freed by the German Army. During these visits I also visited with some of the Polish Legion that was being raised. This was akin to the Czechoslovak Legion from the history I knew. Currently an understrength corp was being formed in the areas of Poland my army now controlled. Only this force would serve as the start of the Polish Army. Granted there were a number of German officers serving with the Polish Legion, but that couldn’t be helped at the current moment.

[1] Outside Walter von Loë having a son, I couldn’t find anything on him. So, if someone knows something about this guy let us know.

[2] If you guys have good ideas, I’m all ears. I’m have my own but I might of missed someone so let me know what you guys think.

Gas Pt I

Near Eupen
Rest Center Camp
February 15 1905

Leutnant-Prince Eitel Hohenzoller was currently enjoying the favorite pastime of military officers everywhere; paperwork. He soon would be able to leave paperwork behind as he and his division would be rotated back into the front lines soon. Eupen even through it was still classified as a rest center for units it was the second to final staging point before moving divisions back into the lines. When a unit would first be pulled off the line, they normally would be allowed the personal to travel to one of the great cities on the Rhine River. There men were allowed to blow off steam and other things. The only time there would be hell to pay is when they did either something either insanely dumb or when to a non-approved brothel, bar, or beerhouse.

Knowing full well what it was like to be a soldier returning from war, Wilhelm had a hand in this. He basically said to his generals don’t give an order you know will not be followed no matter what in regards to soldier’s R&R. This had led to a system where brothels would be inspected by Feldjäger and medical personal on a regular basis who took over the duties from the local police forces who inspected them. The same held true for bars and beerhalls. If you didn’t meet the standards of the Feldjäger and the German Army Medical personal they would turn you back over to local supervision and be blacklisted for soldiers. Being blacklisted was as good as being foreclosed on as everyone knew something had gone horribly wrong.

For the men of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division those days were over. Instead, they were at the final rest station at Eupen. Here it was more about comradeship with your fellow soldiers. Games of football and basketball were common here. Indeed, many local civilians would be allowed in to watch these games play out. Those civilians though had passages granted by the military to be allowed here to watch the games after passing background checks. These civilians would also be allowed to mingle with the soldiers in select areas.

That was mostly for the enlisted and junior NCOs through. For the senior NCOs and officers Eupen was a time for paperwork before returning to the front. This paperwork would be various things ranging from dealing with soldiers who had been arrested to putting in paperwork for more equipment and anything in between. Normally the final act would be to award Iron Crosses and Distinguished Service Medals to the men before they would draw their equipment and start the train ride back to the staging point, they would march back into the trenches. Those that had done something worthy of being awarded the Blue Max through would see the Kaiser or the commanding general of the army present that award in a large ceremony.

For Eitel he was almost caught up on his paperwork. He was already thinking about writing a letter to Lizi to let her know he was fine. Those thoughts interrupted when an alarm through the camp when off. That alarm meant the French had just launched another offensive against German lines. It was drop what you are doing and grab your weapon alarm as well.

Unknown to Eitel and the rest of the men of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division this wasn’t a normal French assault against their lines. French high command was getting desperate to achieve a breakthrough. As such they were bringing something new to this assault, chlorine and phosgene gas in effort to punch a hole into the German lines that had been reaping such a heavy price in the lives of French soldiers.

Gas Pt II

Danzig
Naval HQ
February 15 1905

Five minutes ago I had been receiving a briefing on a planned Marine operation to seize the Moonsund Archipelago this May. This operation was be a testing ground for a plan amphibious landing in Finland next year. I knew early amphibious operations would be a bitch and half. Its why I nixed the idea for an amphibious landing in Finland this year as I didn’t want it to become my own version of Gallipoli. The Swedish would be trying their hand at landing on the Åland Islands around the same time.

The idea here was three-fold. The first was to learn for the latter planned landing in Finland in 1906. Everyone knew the Arctic Front was a side show and nothing important would ever be achieved there, it was why the Swedish was pushing for the assault on Finland. They wanted to end the stalemate but agreed to these landings after some wheeling and dealing. The second reason was to draw out the remains of the Russian Baltic Fleet to destroy it. The final reason why I was aiming for the Moonsund Archipelago was to shut down merchant traffic in the Gulf of Riga so when we drove into the Baltic regions the Russians would have challenges supplying their forces there. Was it perfect? Nope. But perfect was the enemy of good enough.

Now though? The last time I felt anger flow through me like this was when I had been given the news of the coup being led by Bismarck against me. I was forcing myself to focus on my breathing as I was that pissed off. I knew this was a possibly but still it was like a sucker punch to my johnson. The fact the French were willing to use chemical weapons in the winter told me how desperate they were getting. Because only a madman would do such a thing.

The French had finally breeched the lines on the Western Front since they had formed about a year ago. From what was known so far it was about a five kilometer wide gap with no known axis of advance. I wasn’t going to second guess my commanders on the ground at the moment through. Even with the advance telegraph system were using they still had more information than I did and would be better positioned to deal with the breakthrough that the French were creating.

With my breathing back under control, “Prep Operation Mephistopheles, but prep only. If anyone releases those agents without my written approval will be clearing our mine fields post war with a god damn hammer!”

There was a number of white faces around me. I might not have anything like Sarin, Tabun, or Soman ready yet, but I still had some tricks up my sleeves on chemical weapons. If the French wanted to play with these weapons I will make them wished they had never opened Pandora’s Box. The men here knew what Mephistopheles was. There would be no defense against what was coming if the French didn’t back off.

Still, I would give the French a chance to back down on this Pandora’s Box. Hopefully they will see reason enough to jump on Pandora’s Box in effort to shut it before this became too widespread. If they didn’t back down they would wish they had never been born.

I knew already that the gas mask that were sitting at army supply depots across the Western Front would already be making their way to the troops in the field. Knowing what I did about soldiers I knew those gas mask would be ‘lost’ in fairly quick order if they didn’t need them. So instead, they under when basic chemical defense training during their training cycles before going out to the line but left the equipment behind. Now through? With this Pandora’s Box being opened they would likely keep them, at least for the foreseeable future.

“Also get the American, Dutch, Swiss, and Norwegian press who are in our nation. I want to speak them.” I said next. I would make a brief campaign in the neutral press before unleashing the kraken if the French didn’t back down. I would also have my foreign office pass a note to the French via the neutrals.

Gas Pt III

Near Pepinster
Troop Train
February 16 1905

Sounds were coming fast as the large metal brake shoes engaged on the troop train that was carrying part of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division. Compressed air could be heard engaging as well given the emergency brakes had been tripped. This was forcing the brake shoes to grab the wheels even harder than normal to slow the train down and bring it to a stop rapidly. The sounds of small arms fire could be heard over all of this. The combat veterans of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division knew those shots were not of 7 mm Mauser rifles but 8 mm Lebel rifle rounds.

The use of chemical weapons by the French had put the German Army on the backfoot. It had breeched a 15 kilometer hole in the lines from where things had been the day before. The only saving grace so far was the French lacked the ability to effectively counterbattery German Artillery. With information coming in from Zeppelins and Balloon forward artillery observer German Artillery was reaping a deadly toll on the French. The French through were still pushing troops into the breech trying to reach their goal.

Leutnant-Prince Eitel Hohenzoller felt the blood running from his nose as he was trying to get his wits about him. He had been walking the emergency brakes had been engaged which threw him forward causing him to face plant into floor of the passenger car he was on. He was coming from a meeting of senior NCOs and officers of the battalion. Prior to leaving Eupen they had been issued the newest gas mask within the German Army. It was designed to be used within Operation Mephistopheles which was bringing the latest chemical agents Germany had to bear. The belief was that these masks would handle anything the French had to throw at them if it could handle what the plans were for use in Mephistopheles.

Turning to his left he could see French cuirassiers with their horses running pass the train car. “Lock and load!” Eitel hollowed out. The reason he knew they were cuirassiers and not some other kind of cavalry was because they were still wearing metal chest plates. German cuirassiers still had these but only wore them on parade dress. They had given them up over a decade ago for combat use! Eitel unslung his own MP04 machine pistol and put a 20 round magazine into it and pulled back the charging handle. His men were doing the same. “Open fire! Fire at will!” Eitel yelled at the top of his lungs. As part of the shipping out efforts at Eupen they had been issued a full combat load of ammo.

Within moments of the train coming to stop either by order or on soldier’s own initiative gun shots started to ring out from the stopped train. The 7 mm Mauser rifle rounds from either the rifles or light machine guns were simple overmatch for the metal armor of the French cuirassiers as the French cavalry men started to fall off their horses.

Eitel saw something in the corner of his eye and turned his head. “Dismount the train!” He bellowed at the top of his lungs. Fire was spreading from the engine backward through the passenger cars of the train. This was going to be challenging given how the French were still riding up and down the train pouring fire into the locomotive. Eitel gave covering fire as the soldiers in this car were exiting and taking up positions into fighting positions outside the train car. Some of them were falling to French small arms fire but even more French were falling.

One last look in the car he was in as flames were getting closer to him Eitel saw a wounded soldier crawling to get to the door. From the way the wounds were he most likely would lose one of his legs but he could live if he could get him out of here. Eitel shouldered his MP04 and grabbed the solider by the strips of his load carrying unit and started to drag him. Once at the door he threw soldier down as he could feel the heat of the fire behind him as it was rapidly spreading. With that soldier off the train car Eitel jumped down.

Eitel on the ground rolled away from the train and took a kneeling position and started to unsling his machine pistol. Once he got his machine pistol up he started to put fire into the horses to dismount the French along with trying to keep his soldiers from being ran over. His soldiers knew the score. The war with the French had become a war of no quarter asked for none given.

Gas Pt IV

Near Pepinster
Forward Edge of Battle
February 16 1905

Leutnant-Prince Eitel Hohenzollern was gripping his pistol with his weak hand. He was normally right handed when it came to shooting his firearms but currently his right hand had a bandage on it to deal with the gun shot wound he had suffered to that hand. There was a good possibly he would lose his right hand once he entered reached the field hospitals. Eitel however was pushing that thought outside of his mind. That wasn’t the only place he had been wounded in this confused battle. He had another bandage on his left forearm where a bullet had hit him. It was a flesh wound, but the medic of the platoon did his job and patched him up there. Then there was the ringing in his ears, but there was nothing the medics could do about that.

The men that made up the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß were digging in and awaiting reinforcements. They had defeated the men of the 12eme Régiment de Cuirassiers, if only just. The only reason they knew it was that regiment was because they had captured the regimental flag of the 12eme Régiment de Cuirassiers. This was because the only prisoners they had taken were wounded French Cuirassiers and most weren’t in any shape to be interrogated given their wounds. Most would be in hospital for some time to come. The rest of the French regiment either was dead or had escaped.

Eitel through was currently one of the officers in charge of policing the battlefield of weapons. Both for their own weapons but that of French weapons as well. Their own weapons if usable would be reissued to the troops who had lost their weapons during the malay of a fight they had just been through. If they needed repairs they would be sent back up the line to a field armorer to repair them. Or worse to be used as a source of spare parts.

The French weapons would be sent back up the line with their own weapons that needed repairs. They however wouldn’t be repaired. Instead they would be checked to see if they still worked. If the answer was yes they would be greased up. Once that had been done, they would be placed into storage for possible emergency use or foreign sales. If they no longer worker they would most likely be broken down for scrap metal use to feed the almost unlimited hunger of the German economy’s demand for steel.

“Leutnant Hohenzollern!” Came a call from a senior officer. The senior officer in question was Oberst Oskar von Hutier who was one of the staff officers from the division headquarters.

“Oberst!” Eitel quickly said. He didn’t salute the higher-ranking officer. Given French cavalry had reached this far behind the lines from where they had been this time yesterday some normal protocol wasn’t being followed. The rest of the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division was taking up flanking positions along the flanks of the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß.

As dusk was sitting on this field of battle and smoke of the remains of the trained that had been carrying a elite regiment of the German army still lining on even through the bulk of that fire had burned out an hour ago Hutier approached the prince. Once he was in a position where no one else could hear him he spoke softly “Leutnant, you are being relieved of your duties. You are to report to the first aid station at once.”

“Sir?”

“You need to have your wounds tended to, and I was informed you were refusing to leave your command. This is honorable, but we need an able body officer to lead your men.” Hutier knew a counter attack was already forming but a couldn’t inform the prince of that.

Aftermath Pt IV

Stettin
Ducal Castle
February 17 1905

For the first time in a long time, I was worried about what my husband would do. I knew of the gas attacks against the troops of our nation before the general public did via being Wilhelm’s consort. I didn’t know all of the government secrets like Wilhelm did but I knew more than most. Then again, we had a division of labor, I focused more on the domestic matters and would support his efforts in foreign affairs and vice versa. We would talk and work out our differences on issues and generally found a compromise on issues we had disagreements on.

As the public was learning of the chemical weapons used by the French against our troops in Belgium with the morning paper today. There was going to be a heavy propaganda campaign about these attacks. That much was a given. So far, the support of the war was high within the nation. Even through rationing was taking place it wasn’t a heavy-handed affair like it had been in the World War One in the world Wilhelm and I came from. Ersatz wasn’t becoming the all-knowing term it had been in that world. This being because we could still trade with the rest of the world. Still luxury items were hard to come by at the moment. That said there was building public pressure to take to the offensive. I knew via some pillow talk with Wilhelm that offensive was due to come around April.

One of the biggest disagreements we ever had, and still did was over the idea there would be world wars or not. So far that had gone in Wilhelm’s favor by freak events in Korea. Still, I had a hard time understand what the freak happened in that harbor in Korea. Then again, we would likely never fully know as the Russian cruiser that had sparked this whole damn war had been sunk by the Japanese on the break out effort from Port Arthur. The Japanese might find something in Port Arthur about it as it had fallen to them a few weeks ago, but so far if they had found something on what that captain had been thinking they hadn’t found anything. Or they hadn’t informed us of it.

With this chemical weapons attack against our troops, I was worried that Wilhelm would bend to public pressure to enforce a harsh treaty on the French on the same level as Versailles. Possibly a worse treaty than that, over the more balance treaty he had been working with the foreign office to end the war with the French. While it would be clear the French had been defeated it wouldn’t be a crushing treaty that would give rise to another wave of French revanchism against Germany.

Even through he was more logical than I could had ever hoped for when I started this journey, Wilhelm was still somewhat grandiose in what he wanted to do as he wanted to radically change this world. Then again, the victim of most of those grandiose ideas would be the Russians. I never fully understood his reasons for wanting to dismantle the Russian Empire to the degree he wanted to. Yet I fear those grandiose ideas would turn to France in the aftermath of this attack and he would attempt to destroy France as a nation state in the wake of this.

I personally didn’t know how Wilhelm would react to this news. As part of my royal duties in support of this war we were spending a fair bit of time apart. I was currently visiting the naval base here in Stettin as part of a moral visit with the sailors of the Baltic Fleet. Wilhelm was in Danzig and would be travelling back to Berlin around the same time I would be. I was worried about his state of mind and what he would to do the French people for this stupidity of their leaders. My main hope was I would be able to talk him out of any extreme actions against the French like I had blunted his efforts against the Russians.

Hard Choices Pt I

Antwerp
City Hall
March 2 1905

Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders was looking at Brigadier General Augustin Édouard Michel, “How is the German counter offensive going?”

King Leopold II had not shared much in the way of information of the German counter offensive with others in the government. This counter offensive by the Germans was launched four days after the French unleased chemical weapons on Belgian soil. This had been done without the permission of the Belgian government. So far, the Germans hadn’t countered with chemical weapons, but they had stated unless they got ironclad guarantees from the French that they wouldn’t use chemical weapons again that they would use chemical weapons at a time and place of their choosing. At this point it was becoming a daily event for the Belgian tri-colors to be lowed and the German tri-colors to rise in various towns near the center of the German advance.

“The 3rd and 4th Divisions at Charleroi had surrendered. Or better put the remains of those two divisions has surrendered.” The general replied. Leopold had not approved this meeting between one of the most senior generals of the army and the heir presumptive. The army through had seen enough since the start of the German counteroffensive stated to know how this war would end for them. The war was eating men left and right and the Belgian Army wasn’t equipped to deal with this.

Based on fears of what the Germans would do to the Garde Civique, they had been disbanded early in the war with their members folded into the regular army. Still the Belgian Army was small and ill-equipped. They had already suffered badly in this war with over 25,000 casualties, and this was without them seeing front line combat for the most part. The French didn’t trust them and instead had been using them in second line duties to keep Belgian civilians from delaying supplies to their own army.

“That’s half the army!” Philippe cried out. The war was far from being liked the civilian population of the nation. Even through calls had when out for volunteers for the army, few had answered the call to serve in uniform. The army at the time of the French attack and following German counter attack was in the process of a major reorganization. Even through those two divisions weren’t truly half the army they were still a major part of the Belgian Army.

After letting out a breath, “Is Brussels in danger of falling to the Germans in the near future?” Philippe asked.

“Not in the near future sir. It however will fall to the Germans at some point. Its only a matter of time at this point in time.” Michel answered. From the reports he had seen the German’s axis of advance it wasn’t aimed at Brussels at this point in time. It was aimed at the coast. Where on the coast wasn’t clear through. Mons was already under assault from German forces and it was a question of when and not if that city fell to the Germans.

“What is the status of the French?” Philippe asked.

“They are in retreat at the moment. They weren’t expecting the Germans to hit their offensive this hard with a counteroffensive. Even more so as units broke and ran because of the use of the gas.”

Philippe just shook his head. The government had been divided at the start of the war faced with a host of poor choices and leadership lack confidence to lead. It was the only reason Leopold had been able to drag Belgium into this war. All because he felt slighted by the Germans over the Congo and the French promised it to him. “Would the army support me if I overthrow Leopold?”

“It’s a question of if there will be an army by the time you make a move sir.”

Gas Pt V

Near Ghent, French Occupied
Forward Edge of Battle
March 27 1905

Lieutenant Colonel Philippe Pétain was inspecting the trenches that had been dug his new regiment. The regiment in question was the 1er Régiment d'Infanterie. It had been rebuilt after all being destroyed last fall with Pétain being selected to command the regiment. The storied regiment had been ripped apart in a fell push to break German lines near Liege. Between German machine gun fire and artillery then the use of white phosphorus had broken the regiment. With the regiment suffering close to 70% casualties Pétain had been given the task of rebuilding it. He was nearing the end of his training cycle with the regiment when the Germans had launched their counter attack after the use of gas by the French army in its own offensive. With that the regiment had been pushed on to the line to help stem the Germans from advancing.

At Mons the French Army had made their stand and blunted the German counter offensive. This started a race for the Dutch Border between the two armies. That race had ended when the Antwerp fell to the Germans over a week ago. After pulling back to some more defensible positions the lines had more or less stabilized. It seemed that the Germans were taking a pause to allow their logistics to catch up and rebuild the railroads that had been destroyed in the fighting so far. Some believed that the German counteroffensive was over, Pétain didn’t believe that for a moment through.

For Pétain, this war had been proving everything he had been saying before the war. The French Army needed to focus on firepower not infantry assaults. The Germans had proven that and proven it well. Between their self-loading rifles, host of light automatic weapons, and heavy amounts of artillery had taken a dreadful toll on the French Army. It showed in Pétain’s own regiment. Already the Class of 1886 had been called up for military service, with many members of that class being in this regiment. There was also an alarming number of those from the Class of 1856 in the regiment as well.

They were equipped with Berthier rifles which Pétain was thankful for even through it was totally outclass by the German self-loading rifles. He knew the army was short on rifles with many second line and even a limited number of first line support units being equipped with Gras rifles instead of something more modern. Or worse still the Tabatière rifle which was well and truly bypassed by the advances in firearms technology. Production at all four state arsenals was running three shifts but they simply couldn’t keep up with demand.

As for the Belgians they were out of the war. They had surrendered to the Germans and British soon after Brussels fell to the Germans. Leopold had been handed over to the Germans with the formal Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders now being the King of the Belgians. As far as Pétain knew no treaty had been worked out yet but the Belgians were out of the war.

Pétain was over looking a machine gun position for a Hotchkiss machine gun when a number of soldiers in his regiment called out, “GAS!” in rapid succession. That caused Pétain to knell down and pull out his own gas mask and put it on his head. This took only seconds to do. This had been part of the training regiment and every French soldier he all rushed to get their own gas mask on so they wouldn’t die a horrible death. It seemed like the Germans had decided to finally use their chemical weapons. At the same time high explosive artillery shells started to come down on Pétain and his men.

The gas cloud was being built up by the Germans with tens of thousands of kilos chlorine being dropped on the French or let out of contact tank in their only hastily dug trenches. Pétain noticed this as the cloud kept building. Yet outside of the artillery nothing seemed else seemed to be happening as the minutes passed by. Then about an hour into this artillery and gas assault something started to happen to every single man in the French trench lines.

Pétain felt the urge to throw up in his gas mask as other men in his own trench started to sneeze heavily or started to throw up in their mask. In some cases both Then Pétain couldn’t keep his stomach under control and threw up in his mask. Many soldiers started to face a choice either choke on their own vomit or rip off their gas mask and risk dying from the chlorine that was thick in the air.

Operation Mephistopheles had started.

Regrouping Pt I

Berlin
Stadtschloss
April 15 1905

It was early in the morning and I was once again in the map room looking at everything with enough time so I could think. I knew it would be a good half hour before the morning duty section would start reporting in to relieve the graveyard duty section. I knew that the second wave of the counter offensive was coming to an end. Simply at this the armies on the Western Front needed time to rest and regroup after smashing the French with the use of Operation Mephistopheles.

The use of DM together with the use of Chlorine had been a rude shock for the French. Based on intelligence reports two whole French Corps were destroyed outright on the first day of Operation Mephistopheles alone. This was based on a couple of methods of intelligence, human, captured resources, and radio intercepts. With the choice of either dying by drowning on their own vomit, the air thick with Chlorine, or German artillery shells was a nasty choice for the French and they had paid the price. It also caused a number of French to surrender. So far over 100,000 prisoners had been taken.

We however needed railroads to keep our armies supply and the French sappers were doing a hell of a job of blowing bridges and other critical logistical hubs up in our path. This was one of the main reasons the counter offensive was being called off now. My own engineers were making one valiant effort to get the railways up and running again but they simply couldn’t get enough trains forward to the troops to keep them in supply.

The front has now reached the outskirts of Calais on the channel. From there they ran down to Béthune to Cambrai, to the outskirts of Reims, to the outskirts of Verdun down to the Moselle River. From there it was to the Swiss border. The French however needed the break more than us based on the intelligence I was seeing. Yet my forces need to resupply as most units were down to a 1/3 of their approved ordnance loads. Anything lower than that was almost borderline criminal and not worth the risk of further ground to be gained as it risked by forces running out of ammo.

From what I was being told it would take at least two weeks to get my forces resupplied and the logistical network behind him up to snuff. I honestly was pondering if the British would move fast enough to get the BEF into France. With the French being pushed back like they had been in the past six to eight weeks was enough for the British decided they needed to get in on the ground combat side of things in Europe to have a seat at the peace table. They have were moving somewhat slowly as they had been encamped for a possible cross channel invasion from the French.

“Sir, Prince Eitel is here.” One of the officers working the graveyard duty section said.

That caused me to snap my head up critically. In his letters and from what I had been told Eitel was to be medically discharged from the army. He had lost his right hand due to his wounds in the early days of the French offensive that had radically changed where the Western Front was now. But I wasn’t expecting Eitel home for a few more days.

“Show him in.” I said as I started walking to greet my second oldest son. From the reports of his actions, he had been put in for the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the day that caused him to lose his hand. For a host of reasons I was not actively reviewing this as I did with other awards of the Blue Max. If he did something to warrant the Blue Max he would earn it. I didn’t want people saying he got it because of nepotism.

Moments later I saw Eitel. He was still in uniform but was wearing the wounded eagle badge. The wounded eagle was a symbol that this man had been discharged from the military and was heading home. It was an easy way to get soldiers and sailors back to their homes. With that badge they could travel home for free.

What got me choked up was when I saw his stump that was his wrist on the right arm. I now knew how my own parents felt when I had returned from Iraq for the first time with a Purple Heart, and it wasn’t a good feeling. War was hell I thought as I was holding back tears.

Regrouping Pt II

Berlin
Stadtschloss
May 2 1905

“They are retreating?” I asked as I looked at the map after looking at the photos I had just been handed.

“Yes sir, the Russians are falling back from their positions in the Congress of Poland. This had been confirmed via Zeppelin reconnaissance, radio messages that had been decoded, captured intelligence, and prisoners taken.” Newly promoted Generalfeldmarschall Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff informed me as he pointed out the axis of their retreat out of the Congress of Poland.

Since the failure of the Russian Vistula offensive the Eastern Front had been fairly quiet in early September last year. It had been mostly local offensives and line straighten operations. Then starting about a month ago ELINT started to pick up odd radio transmissions that didn’t make sense at first. Then photo reconnaissance from Zeppelin overflights of the Congress of Poland started to show signs of the Russians marshalling their railways for something big. The way they were marshalling it through was not to support an offensive. This had caused a debate within the gypsy teller department otherwise known as the intelligence department as to what the Russians were up to.

What finally settled the matter and caused it to be brought to my direct attention was a raid performed by my cavalry. Unlike the Western Front, there were no hard sit trench lines running from the Austro-Hungarian border to the Baltic. Simply put there wasn’t enough troops to do that. Even without the Austro-Hungarians being in the war the front here was simply too massive to do it. So, things were more fluid and open to maneuver. Its also the reason things hadn’t turned into what the western front had.

The intelligence gained in that raid confirmed the Russians were withdrawing from the Congress of Poland. We didn’t know where the final stopping point of this withdraw would be through. But it seemed after losing three armies that were now sitting in POW camps within Germany, they didn’t want to stick their reproduction organ into the meat grinder again. I also figured this was an effort to allow their own rifle and armament production to catch up while they perform training to get their soldiers up to snuff as they were the running jokes of many of my troops.

“What can we do to harm the Russian efforts at this retreat?” I asked.

It was at this point by Chief of the General Staff, outlined his plan.

Regrouping Pt III

Near Ch'angch'un
Forward Edge of Battle
May 21 1905

Leftenant Matt Jones and his platoon were the current reserve force their company. This was being done in the new two up and one back system that had been pioneered by the Germans in The China War. Indeed a number of nations have taken to the triangle formations of the Germans as far as Matt knew. It just gave everyone more flexibility in fighting. Currently the front was quiet so he was taking time to think and do other things as he waited.

Of all the places he could had ended up Manchuria hadn’t been anywhere on that list. He had expected after clearing out the number of French Pacific Islands holding to be assigned to taking French Indochina. Instead, his unit had assaulted French Zhanjiang in August last year. Then they had moved up and assault French Chusan six weeks later. Following the fall of Chusan Matt and the rest of his brigade had moved up to Inchŏn in Korea to rest and refit. After that rest and refit cycle they had moved up to positions around Mukden and fought with the Japanese Army in their efforts to take the city from the Russians.

During that battle Matt had been mentioned in dispatches by his brigade commander for his actions. The Japanese through had awarded him the Order of the Golden Kite 5th class. After Mukden had fallen the joint Japanese-Australian Army needed time to recover from their victory as the Russians had put up a skillful defense of the city. They however had to abandon much artillery. How much Matt didn’t know for sure, but he had personally counted two dozen artillery pieces that looked like they were still usable after the battle.

Since mid-April the joint army had been advancing north on Ch'angch'un. The next major city of Manchuria was now in their sights. They hadn’t assaulted the city yet through. They had marched over 300 kilometers to get this far and most of the troops needed time to rest while the newly repaired railways were bringing up more supplies. Fighting on the advance on Ch'angch'un had been scattered at best on the advance.

If Matt had to guess in the wake of their defeat at Mukden, the Russians had retreated to the next defensible city which was Ch'angch'un leaving only delaying forces behind him as they took the majority of their forces north. Now with the allied army here they were expecting a counter attack as marching over 300 kilometers left their army tired and in need of rest.

While he waited he was checking on his sidearm. As an officer he had to buy his own sidearm. Unlike many he had opted for a self-loader over the Webley. Well it was still made by Webley but it was a beast of a pistol coming in at two and half pounds unloaded. It still fired the .455 of the Webley revolver but he had an extra round on tap plus had faster reloads. Once he when through all three magazines he had though it took some time to reload them all. If he somehow when through all three magainzes he still had that Nagant revolver he had taken off a dead Russian officer as a back up if he really needed it.

Burning it Down Pt I

Gulf of Riga, Near Saaremaa
Long Boat
June 3 1905

Major Martin Friedrich Langholz was once more on a long boat that was being rowed in to attack a hostile shore. Much had changed since Tientsin in 1898. Even through it had only been seven years since he rowed ashore to attack the Taku Forts, many things had changed. Instead of the pistols he had been armed with then he was now sporting an MP04 machine pistol as his primary weapon. This was true of all of the officers and NCOs within the battalion as well where he served as the XO. He was also equipped with a P02 pistol. Even through the German Army was using a host of other pistols that had been adopted in the rush to meet the demand the Imperial Marines were sticking with the P02.

Another big change was the creed of every Marine was a rifleman. To stay in the Marines once a year every Marine had to pass a challenging test. This included psychical training as well as on the rifle range. It however wasn’t just good enough to be a good shot on the range. You also had to pass a battlefield course of fire. The only force in the German Empire that could go pound for pound with the Marines where the Imperial Guard.

Off in the distance the roar of the big guns could be heard. The old ironclads SMS Oldenburg had run the Irbe Straits and were now engaging the coastal fortification around Kuressaare. For the crew of the old ironclad this was their first taste of combat. The Oldenburg had been reduced to the reserves in 1900 again. This time it was looking like the old ironclad might stay in the reserves for good this time. Yet when the war came she was brought back into service. With the rest of fleet guarding the entrance of the Gulf of Finland incase the Russian fleet decided they wanted to come out in play the job of naval fire support fell to the old ironclad.

While the old 24 cm guns she carried packed a punch, she had been modified to carry a pair of 15 cm field guns to add an extra punch against land targets. The Russians were returning fire but not as well as they could be. Unknown to the Germans the Russians had withdrawn the best fortress officers and NCOs from the forts in this region and sent them into the Congress of Poland to help hold the line against the Germans there.

For Langholz they were not landing near Kuressaare through. Their first target was the less well defended Salme. From there they would march overland to assault Kuressaare. Once they take the only town that could serve as a port, they would work to clear out the rest of the island itself. Intelligence had informed him that only a second line infantry regiment was garrison the island outside of the fortress troops. Second line in Russia meant Berdan rifles and Smith & Wesson Model 3s. They were totally lacking in machine guns and modern artillery. Still, they were a threat. It was why they had an infantry regiment following them up.

<*>

24 Hours Later
Near Kuressaare
Forward Edge of Battle

Major Langholz wasn't directly on the front anymore. Instead he was running the battalion forward command post. It was about 150 meters behind where the front was as he directed various companies in the assault on the fortress that was in his direct front. He had his MP04 on a single point sling so he could be in the fight if there was a counterattack. He wasn’t here to fight through he was here to lead men.

Then there was a bright flash from one of the gun cut outs in the fort before him. Moments later Russian soldiers were running out of openings in the fort in effort to escape the fire that had become their world. That had to be from one of the flamethrowers being used in assault to clear out the fort. Even at this distance you could smell the burning flesh from those that had been hit by the flamethrower. It was a smell that one smelled you would never forget it.

He then heard one of his junior officers yell out, “Don’t shoot! Let them burn![1]” It would be mercy to let them shoot the Russians at this point as they were on fire head to toe. It was a question of when they died and not if. That machine gun through had been eating into the marines something hard, so Langholz understood it.

With that machine gun taken care of it was time to go about clearing out the rest of the fort before that Russian regiment moved against them. There was a whole infantry division ready to be unloaded on this island to take control of it.

[1] Yes this is from Saving Private Ryan

Criminal Justice Pt III

Maubeuge, German Occupied
Town Square
July 1 1905

There was a strange sight in the town square at the moment. A reinforced company of infantry was guarding a newly built structure; a gallows. The infantry wasn’t in military parade formation either. They had emplaced heavy machine guns and fighting positions built up to guard the gallows from anyone trying something stupid. There also was a rapid reaction battalion near by that was on standby alert incase the town of 20,000 or so rioted for what was about to happen.

In German occupied France the German occupying forces had tried to work with the local officials to maintain order with the civilian population they had to take care of now. So far, all efforts had been nothing short of failures. Here in Maubeuge the town’s mayor, city council, and a few senior police officers had all been fired with the police officers being under house arrest at the moment pending investigation into their actions in the lead up to needing the gallows that now stood in the town square. This was becoming an increasingly common outcome across the parts of France that was occupied by the Germans.

The town itself was here to see what was happening under orders of the new German administrator and his government that had replaced the elected city government. A reinforced Feldjäger company was supporting the infantry in their efforts to keep the town at peace right now. The city’s own police force while still employed by the city had been placed on paid leave suspension that was also pending investigation. The Feldjäger came down the street with an armored wagon holding four men who had been found guilty of being illegal combatants and had been sentenced to death.

As the wagon was being brought up to the gallows the new German administrator, “By my decree ownership of all firearms and ammunition by civilians is hench for illegal. There will be a 60 day grace period in which civilians may turn in firearms and ammunition at an approved locations across the town. After this grace period any civilian found with a firearm or ammunition is liable to be charged as an illegal combatant against the German Empire. I decree this with the power vested in me by Kaiser Wilhelm the Second of the German Empire.”

Kaiser Wilhelm was growing increasingly angered by the increasing use of Francs-tireurs by the French. Even the people around him knew he was deeply upset by the use of them but they weren’t sure to as why he was this troubled by it. It was to the point he would shake in anger when informed of these attacks. He had also refused to hear all appeals from trials that were being held and guilty verdicts had been found. These trials were being witness by American, Swiss, and Norwegian legal observers. They along with the British and Italian legal observers had judged the trials to be fair trials and the rights of the accused such as they were had been respected by the Germans.

Once the wagon stopped in front of the gallows the Feldjäger opened the rear of the wagon. It took a moment but they brought two of the four men out of the wagon. They had iron chains around their ankles, wrist, and neck that were all linked together. This was causing them to be hunched over and more shuffle their feet than walk. They already had their last meal before being brought here. Further they had been allowed to write a letter to their love ones, even through it had been read and copy by the Germans.

At the top of the gallows the iron chains around their neck was removed. Quickly in its place a noose was placed. That however was after a black hood was placed over their heads. Then a Roman Catholic Priest within the German Army who could speak French gave the two men their last rites. Well only one of them were a man who was a veteran of the Franco-Prussian War and had been a POW in that war after the German victory of Sedan. The other was a 16 year old teenage who had been found with the other three Francs-tireurs who were being hung today. With his fingerprints on multiple firearms in their possession he had been charged and found guilty of being an illegal combination. They had been caught after an attack on German transport troops that left one dead and another three wounded. Those firearms had been linked to the attack.

With the last rites being given the priest stepped back. The German administrator spoke again, “These been had been found guilty of being illegal combinations against the German Empire and sentenced to hang by the neck till they are dead. May god have mercy on their souls.” Then he nodded to the hangman who wore a uniform but had a mask over his face to keep who he was a secret from the town’s people. He pulled the lever that operated the trapped door. Both of the prisoners had a short drop before the rope when tight snapping their necks.

It was one of five different hanging events within occupied France on this day alone.

The Fork in the Road Pt I

Bern
Coffee Shop
July 27 1905

Even through nations were at war they still had ways to speak to each other. This was generally done via informal meetings in neutral nations such as Switzerland. With diplomatic contacts built up over decades of service it was easy to set up. The brutal nature of the war on the Western Front had caused there to be little contact between Paris and Berlin. With the brutal nature of the Western Front contact between Paris and Berlin had been limited to say the least. After the first few attempts to set up a system for localized cease fires to recover the wounded when nowhere, the Germans didn’t contact the French again till they used chemical weapons. As such meetings were in the back table in this coffee shop.

Now it was to point the Germans were contacting the French weekly. This was to inform the French government of the hanging of various Francs-tireurs and French citizens sentenced to hard labor inside Germany. July was the busiest month so far and it wasn’t even over. So far this month over 400 Francs-tireurs had been hung. Then there were another 600 French citizens who hadn’t been found guilty of a crime worth hanging them over. They however were now performing hard labor within Germany. Another 200 or so were currently awaiting trial in front of a German military court. That was this month alone which was the highest total to date. The growth rate through was exponential.

With the latest German offensive coming to a close in the past few days and with key cities such as Amiens and Reims in German hands, Paris decided to let Germany know they needed to stop hanging their citizens. Even if they were promoting the Francs-tireurs whenever they could. The French Army were hoping that the Francs-tireurs would cause enough damage to the German logistics that they could reverse the incoming flood of German Armies. The German offensive was coming to an end to allow logistics to catch up with the front which in the eyes of the French Army was proving the worth of the Francs-tireurs and their attacks on the Germans.

The greeting between the two diplomats were cold. The French open the talks since they had requested this meeting. “We demand you stop hanging our citizens, as you call them the so call Francs-tireurs.”

“You aren’t in a position to demand anything.” The German diplomat said in a quick retort. “What Germany demands is your government stop supporting the Franc-tireurs. Or we will be forced to take extreme measures.” The German Foreign Office was working to get ahead of the Army who was growing tired of the Francs-tireurs efforts behind the lines. So far, the Kaiser was holding their leash. That grip was slipping through as the Kaiser was in as foul mood as anyone could recall over the attacks of the Francs-tireurs. They wanted to end this before those extreme measures that the army was pushing for were enacted.

The plan at first had been trying to work with the local governments through the advance through France. As the Kaiser said when this had start let’s live and let live. That was changing through with every report of an attack on German troops behind the lines. It was to the point a corp of infantry was being used in anti-Francs-tireurs sweeps behind the lines in effort to knock their attacks back. While having some effect it wasn’t enough to stop all of the Francs-tireurs attacks.

Earlier this month the Kaiser Wilhelm had decreed private ownership of firearms and ammunition was now illegal within the occupied zone of France. This was replacing the hodgepodge system that had been in place prior to this decree. Like in the various systems that had been in place, those who turned in weapons and/or ammunition would be given a receipt for their weapons so they could be return at the end of the war when the Germans withdrew from the area. Those who livelihood was destroyed by this decree were to be given a stipend to cover their lost of income. So far through only a low number of firearms had been turned in. There were only 45 days left in the grace period before people found with firearms or ammunition would be arrested.

“What do you mean, extreme measures?”

“Southern Africa.” The German said simply. It was a bi-word within the diplomatic community and given the context the French diplomat knew what it meant. His face lost all color as the blood drained when he heard the German say it.

“You can’t be serious?”

“Deadly.” The German said quickly before taking a sip of his coffee before going on. “While my government would do everything possible to keep the worse outcomes from happening, we were counting on the farms of the area to help support feeding the local population. If the farmers are all in camps, we will try but we can’t guarantee anything.”

The French diplomat had been caught flat footed by where the Germans had taken this as he hadn’t expected this. “Why aren’t you doing this on the Eastern Front?”

“Simple really. There we are being greeted as liberators there. In your nation everyone with a rifle it seems like is taking pot shots at German soldiers. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to control our troops who are beyond enraged with this.” Those who had when beyond their orders were currently behind held in Spandau, but it wouldn’t be much longer before a second prison would be needed.

The French diplomat looked like he was on the verge of tears. He knew that last German offensive almost broke the back of the French Army. The army was pushing for increasing the amount of help going to the Francs-tireurs and he knew it. “This needs to end and now. I leave the how to you.” The German diplomat said as he got up and threw a few Swiss coins to pay for the drinks on the table. The Foreign Ministry wasn’t sure what the Kaiser would do. Would he agree with the army or find a middle ground like normally did. They weren’t sure. They wanted to end this before the Kaiser was forced to make a call in this.

Once the German diplomat left the French diplomat broke down into tears.

The Fork in the Road Pt II

Toulouse
Hôtel de Felzins
August 3 1905

“MADNESS! What you want to do is nothing less than have the French people and French culture removed from Earth!” The French Prime Minister said to Général d'armée Augustin Dubail who was the second new French Army Chief of Staff since the start of the war. For the prime minister of France, it was even worse turn over with the current prime minister being on the job for only five days at this point and was the fourth new prime minister since the war started.

The current prime minster had only risen to the position after the government had abandoned Paris for the safety of Toulouse in the past week. With the German offensive coming to an end and they already having bridgeheads over the Somme Paris was in danger of falling to the Germans. The army had barely been able to hold the Germans from breaking out of their bridgeheads they had over the Somme. Paris was also becoming overran with civilian refugees fleeing the German advance. Tells of German brutality were spreading rapidly within the civilian population.

“The Peninsular War was Napoleon’s bleeding ulcer; we shall make France the Kaiser’s own bleeding ulcer!” Dubail was also fairly new to the job as well. He had been named the chief of staff by the last prime minister just before the move to Toulouse. He had studied everything he could and knew the war couldn’t be won via conventional means. Too much of French industry was now trapped behind German lines. Even the le remplacement programs were not meeting their goals to meet the demands of the army never mind the civilian population of the nation.

Currently the army had enough artillery shells left for a single day of fighting to stop a German offensive with their current usage of shells which were already being rationed because of the lack ability to replace what was being used. Gras rifles were being issued to artillerymen, engineers, and a host of other non-infantry and cavalry units to allow the infantry and cavalry be equipped with either Lebel or Berthier rifles. Even then some of the newly raised infantry divisions were still having to be equipped with Gras rifles as their production of more modern rifles couldn’t keep up with demand. Efforts to secure small arms via Spain hadn’t borne the fruit that they had hoped for.

“If you go ahead with this plan General the Kaiser had already made it clear he would act like the British did in Southern Africa. Look what happened to the Boers. They are all but destroyed as a people and culture. If you go ahead your plan, they will be speaking German in Paris in 20 years from now. This is madness. German will be the common tongue in Paris!”

Unknown to the men in this room in effort to ease the pressure in the occupied zone of France the Germans had just announced a program to allow civilians to travel to the United States or elsewhere in the New World so long as the French government wasn’t at war with them. This was an all expenses paid trip on a temporary German passport. They would however have to sign documents stating they would never take up arms against the German Empire again in their life time. They would further have to swear to such in an oath. If you had items you couldn’t take with you such as land you would be paid fair market value for this. The Germans however were keeping account of every pfenning being spent on this program as they planned to make the French pay them back for this.

“I call for a vote on the plan then.” General Dubail said.

The domestic politics of the Third Republic was a mess. To put it simply the government of France now had feet of clay at this point standing on top of quicksand. The new prime minister knew his position wasn’t not a strong one. He had been named to the position as a compromise to keep open fighting from breaking out between various parties. The fighting might not reach the point of bloodshed but it wasn’t far from that point either. Finger pointing was the name of the game for the defeats the French had stuffed in the war so far. With that the prime minister when ahead and gave the general his vote to see if they would go forward with this plan or not. If it failed, he would fire Dubail. If it when forward he would resign.

Peace? Pt I

Compiègne, German Occupied
Château de Compiègne
September 15 1905

Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen was unsure why the Kaiser wished for these talks to take place here. Compiègne was a small town that once was one of the royal resistances of the French monarchs. Well back in a time when there was a monarchy in France. The last time France when to war against Germany saw the fall of Napoleon III and the rebirth of the French Republic. Who knew what would happen this time through after such a crushing defeat this go around?

The German Army, this time with British support launched an offensive against the French 21 days ago. Only on the first day and even then, it was slacking up by the end of that day was there any major French artillery fire on advancing troops. Fighting was still hard but without their artillery the French were between a rock and hard place. This allowed the German Armies and the British Expeditionary Force to rapidly advance against the French who were armed only with small arms and light crew serve weapons that were rifle caliber at best. With that kind of disadvantage, the French Army broke under the weight of fire.

Two things through finally droved the French to seek a cease fire. The first was a French Army had become encircled within Paris when German Armies linked up at small town of Ablis. At first it looked like that French Army would had be dug out of Paris kicking and screaming in Urban Combat. Before an assault could be launched on Paris, the French government in Toulouse learned that Kaiser Wilhelm would be willing to use siege artillery to break the French Army that was hold up in Paris.

As for the second thing; winter was coming. Where the temporary cease fire lines fell left the richest French Coal Fields were under German occupation. Together with the manpower suck that the army was the French simply wouldn’t be able to keep their population both warm and fed this winter. Hunger and cold were never a good thing for a sitting government and Toulouse knew it. So they had via the Swiss asked for a temporary cease fire pending a cease fire to be in effect till a peace treaty could be signed.

The French delegation walked into the room where the allied nations were sitting. Full delegations from the German Empire, British Empire, and the Italian Kingdom were sitting here. Small delegations from the other remaining allied powers were sitting in this room as they were mostly focused on Russia were as in the case of Brazil had jump in for a pure land grab. They really didn’t warrant a full delegation and they understood it.

Schoen listened to the French team make an opening statement. Then Joseph Chamberlain made the opening statement for all of the allies presence here. Schoen detested the man but would give him credit for knowing how to speak. Then after Chamberlain speaking it was Schoen’s turn to speak. He was to give the agreed to terms that would be enforced till a peace conference was agreed to.

You could see the shock of the French delegation. The terms were no where as harsh as they believed they would be. While tough on the Third Republic they weren’t set out to destroy the people of France as some had believed they would be. These terms had been agree to by rapid fire encoded telegrams between London and Berlin once the French had reached out for a cease fire. While there were a number of minor points the major points of the cease fire were straight forward.

- The French Army and Navy is to demobilized to peacetime levels in order to maintain peace of the nation and their colonies.

- The French military is to turn over all chemical weapons, this includes ordnance and manufacturing equipment.

- All remaining French Battleships, Armored Cruisers, and submarines are to sail to either British or Italian Ports for internment pending a peace treaty.

- All French laid minefields at sea or planned on land are to be showed to the allies at once.

- Till the signing of a peace treaty the British shall occupy the cities and nearby countryside of Brest, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Calais, Saint-Nazaire, and Bordeaux. The Germans shall occupy French Alsace, French Lorraine, and Champagne-Ardenne. The Italians shall occupy Provence, Rhône-Alpes, and Corsica. Occupation of these areas may last till after the signing of the peace treaty.

- Colonial positions are as is pending a peace treaty. Save for Morocco which shall be occupied by the British pending a peace treaty.

- Occupied zones by Allied nations will be maintained at the expense of the French Government.

- No removal or destruction of civilian goods or industries in the occupied zones.

- Till the signing of the peace treaty, the French civilians are subject to the law of the nation of the occupier.

- If a nation declares the occupation zone in rebellion, they may use all means to crush the rebellion.

- French Custom Houses shall be operated by a mix team of the below listed nations with the profits going to below listed nations at the precents agreed to.

- All allied nations shall be able to use French railroads and ports till the war with Russia is over. The cost of this shall be paid for by the French Government.

- All Allied Prisoners of Wars are to be released forthwith.

Given the position the French were in they accepted these terms.

Going Home Pt I

Cambrai, German Occupied
Prisoner of War Camp
September 29 1905

Fantassin Charles de Gaulle was likely one of the youngest prisoners of war here or likely anywhere. He had lied about his age and enlisted in the French Army six months ago. His training was barely finished when he had been issued with a Gras rifle and sent to the front not even a month ago. His time on the front through was short. He was captured near Beauvais during the last German offensive. Since than he had under when an interrogation by the Germans. From that point he had been moved around in the German PW Camp system.

The mood in the camp through was depressed. The news of the cease fire and surrender of the government had hit the camp hard. Even through fighting had reached within the heart of France de Gaulle believed that victory against the Germans was still possible. That had all fallen apart when a member of the French Chamber of Deputies had been brought in to inform the prisoners here of the surrender of the French government a week ago. They had further learned that till a peace treaty was signed all French prisoners of war were to stay under control of the nation that had them at the moment.

For all the prisoners here at the PW Camp in Amiens that meant a train ride into Germany itself or the occupied zone. The nations that had defeated France had 90 days to withdraw from areas that had not been declared within the zones of occupation of the allies. Whereas the French Army had 14 days to withdraw from the area to become the zones of occupation after the signing of the cease fire. He didn’t know what the Germans were planning to do with all that time but at the moment he was walking around in a stunned haze like many of the younger soldiers here. The older ones were equally stunned but they weren’t as lost as the generation who had been fed nothing but Revanchism since birth were taking this harder.

Then an aspirant called out, “De Gaulle the old man wants to see you.”

“Yes sir.” De Gaulle said without much motivation.

The aspirant didn’t say anything about the tone in de Gaulle’s voice. The future was unknown for many including himself. He had entered army as the work up to his going to St Cyr. Now through who knew what his fate would be. Would the allies even allow the French to maintain an army? If so would be one of the lucky ones to be allowed to remained in the army? Its why he wasn’t too hard on the kid he had been sent to get. The kid couldn’t be over 16 so no use at yelling at him for lack of motivation.

It took de Gaulle a few minutes to make it over to officer country. With him having to see the old man he made his way to the building being used by the officers to run the camp. Once he reported to the main building that was being used for the admin functions of the camp he had to wait. One thing he did notice through a lot of young looking French soldiers were here as well. They all had the same stunted look on their fact that de Gaulle did.

After waiting for a half of an hour de Gaulle was called in to see the old man of the camp. This was Lieutenant Colonel Philippe Pétain. You could see the effects of the use of the chemical weapons on the man. His breaths were shallow and he was sitting down and barely moving with no signs of sweat on him. Pétain however was the most senior officer at the camp which made him the old man. “Fantassin de Gaulle how old are you?” Pétain asked between short breaths.

“18 years of age sir.” De Gaulle said while he was lying about his age. Everyone even the Germans had trouble believing his age, but no one had really pressed him on it.

Pétain then raised his armed and banged it against his desk, “Don’t lie to me Fantassin, how old are you?” This was followed by a cough.

De Gaulle stood there for a moment before answering honestly this time. “I’m currently 14 years old sir.”

At that Pétain wrote something down. “I believe that Fantassin. Even at your height your face gave it away.” Remarked as he was writing.

“As an offer to help smooth over relations between our nations the Germans are willing to parole all prisoners of war under the age of 17 years of age. If they agree to the terms of the parole.”

“Sir?”

“Don’t be stupid son, take the offer and go back to school.” Pétain said without looking up from his desk. “We lost this war, so don’t throw away your future. Because you are the future of France.” Pétain said for dozen time today.

“Yes sir.” De Gaulle said.

“Major Weber will fill you in on the details.” Pétain said again this time looking at the young French soldier as he motioned him to the door behind him.

“Yes sir.” De Gaulle replied as he started to move to the door.

The terms of parole stated that the undersigned would not serve under arms of the French nation till a peace treaty was signed and till they were of proper age. Further if they lived in the occupied zones, they would not take up arms against the occupying forces. They were also given a travel voucher to get home along with some pocket money for food.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt IV

Königsberg
Königsberger Schloss
October 14 1905

She was my partner in this crazy journey we had both started back in 1888 after reaching that year via strange motions neither of understood. She was also my lover and soul mate. There would be no other who held a candle for me. Yet more importantly she was the one person who I could be unguarded with and be myself. With the demands of the war we had little time for each other. We both had been running all over Germany doing our part for victory.

Dona she had been doing more moral visits with the troops and visiting various German cities on public relation events. The latter was something we both did prior to the war. During the war through the number of events we both had to do had when up by a large margin. Further I was having to manage the military and diplomatic efforts of the nation. This had caused us to spend more time apart than we ever had before. It’s been just under 3 months since we had last seen each other and had time to ourselves. Not I was just enjoying the deep soulful kiss we were sharing.

Once we broke the kiss, “I missed you.” I whispered to her as we were still hugging each other.

“I felt the same way, but we need to talk.” She whispered back.

I pulled back a bit and looked into her eyes. I could see the love I knew she held for me. I also saw the confusion and worry in her eyes. I knew just by that she was worried about something. What that was I had no idea. But I looked over to my aide who was the only other one here, “Clear my schedule for the next few hours.” I said to my aide.

“Yes sir.” He replied as you could hear the slight embarrassment in his voice as he walked off to do that. As he left and shut the door. For reasons I totally couldn’t understand I was thinking like Mel Brooks’ ‘It’s good to be the king.’ Maybe I needed to laugh a bit more was my next thought.

“What is it dear?” I asked in German. I knew if she switched this to English it was something that really was bothering her.

“I’m worried you are about to destroyed the French culture.” She replied in English.

Switching to English, “Let’s take a seat.”

A few moments later we were both sitting down. “Why?” I asked honestly not sure why I would outright destroy the French. I frankly had too much respect for French culture to do that. Yes the French were prideful to a sinful level, but that’s the only knock I had against them as a people. I just hoping this defeat would teach them some humility.

“How many appeals of French men and even a few women had you outright rejected to let them hang?” She asked.

I just shook my head. “Dona, you have never been in combat and fore that I’m more graceful than you could ever know. Yet you have no idea what its like to not know if the person in civilian clothes is truly a civilian or is someone waiting to pull out a firearm or worse to kill you then go away to do it again. Then to finally get lucky and capture them and you finally put a stop to it. Only to see then be allowed to live on technical grounds. Then they get release to do it all over again. It makes you feel like your life is worthless.” Taking a deep breath before I when on, “Its why I been very upfront about this and when about creating laws to spell it out. I do not want soldiers to go through what I when through in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

Dona just shook her head. “Don’t you understand how hated this is going to make us hated in front of the world?”

“Dona, my dear what choice did I have? Seriously? To let these people, go?”

“Yes.”

I just sighed. “Dona, dear, if I would had done that my soldiers would simply had become judge, jury, and executioner with any unlawful combatant if they didn’t have faith in the system and believed these people would be allowed to kill again. Or worse they would start to remove whole towns and villages from the map.”

“What about those in the prison camps?”

“I plan to give them amnesty once the war is over and a peace treaty has been signed. No more than three months at that at the latest to allow peace to take hold. But I don’t plan to make them serve out the years or decades they had been sentenced to. I had been nothing but upfront about all of this. No one can say I pulled these laws out of thin air in a knee jerk reaction to something. No I made it clear and from what I seen the rest of the world is accepting this at the moment. If some historian later damns me? So be it. I stop things like the Rape of Belgium, the Armenian Genocide, and Leopold Red Rubber. I believe if they are damning me for that, they can be thankful they don’t know the things I had just listed.”

The Polish Question Pt III

Lodz, German Occupied
Military Base
November 21 1905

This was an odd moment to say the least as I stood on the viewing platform. I was watching to formation of the 1. Polish Infantry Division being activated after months of training. It was part of the forming I Polish Corp of troops that should be fully stood up by the end of March. The Polish Army was being formed before the founding to the true Polish Kingdom. This formation like all three of the Polish infantry divisions and supporting units was a mix match of equipment. For their rifles they were equipped with the older Gewehr 89s as I didn’t have enough self-loading rifles for my army as it was. Pistols were all over the place. Machine guns were older Maxim guns as I didn’t have enough Browning Machine Guns or what I viewed as an early FM 24/29 to give to the Poles either. Artillery was either Krupp stock guns or captured French or Russian guns. It was a mess but it would work.

Yet standing next to me as we watched this formation being stood up and accepted into the German Army was the likely first prime minister of the new Kingdom, Józef Piłsudski. The man was without question a Polish Patriot and was working with me to create his dream of the rebirth of the Polish nation. He wasn’t happy with the fact I made it crystal clear he wasn’t getting Posen back. What smooth things over somewhat was the fact I made it clear I wasn’t planning to expand into the Congress of Poland. Plus, I hinted to the fact I was willing to have Poland eastern border be where the Second Partition had ended. The sticking point through was Vilnius or as he called it Wilno with him as he wanted and I wanted to go for whatever I decided to do with Lithuania.

On the other side was the man I was pushing to be the King of Poland. Currently he was Prince Johann Georg of Saxony, a member of the House of Witten. After speaking with a number of people I believed Johann was the best person for the job. He wasn’t perfect but perfect is the enemy of good enough. He was already learning how to speak Polish so he could build up relations with his people if he was crowned King of Poland. I would have to get the British onboard to make sure he would get the title through. He however was already working to build up the support of the Polish people for his rule.

The only man missing here, was one Roman Dmowski. Not that he could join us. He had died while at sea late last year. Given he was on a slow passenger liner he had been buried at sea. I still beat myself up for that but failing to see a good choice he had been assassinated on my orders. An agent within the German intelligence service had made sure Dmowski got a large dose of botulism toxin in his systems. Given the time frame no one would bat an eye at his death to do botulism. And so far no one was causing a sink about it.

I didn’t like it one damn bit though. I however failed to see another choice. Dmowski had been loudly denouncing my efforts in Posen even with me giving up the failed idea of Germanization of Posen. He also wanted to marginalize non-Polish ethnic groups that would make up the Kingdom of Poland. For what I wanted to do that wasn’t going to fly. Given that Piłsudski had just about as much support as Dmowski I had to make sure Dmowski didn’t come to power. So, I ordered it, I still felt sick about it through.

Piłsudski through was more realpolitik in his dealings. He also believed in multiculturalism unlike Dmowski. Which would be key to my long term plans for Poland to pan out. I was already expecting a large influx of Jewish migrates heading for other points within Europe coming out of France. I frankly wanted those Jewish migrates to feel welcome moving into Germany or Poland. Not only would they bring needed skills to have both my nation and Poland to grow in economic power but it would enlarge our population was would be a bonus. Plus I didn’t want them going to the United States so I could deny that nation their skills.

This was based on what I was already seeing already in France in the wake of its defeat in this war. Two political parties I was keeping my eye on in France right now was Action Francaise and Parti Ouvrier Socialiste Révolutionnaire. Both were growing in popularly rapidly as everyone was looking for someone to blame for the rapid defeat and crushing losses of the French Army in the war. I was also looking to make sure the French had someone else to blame besides my nation after the peace treaty was signed. I was aiming to turn that anger to the British.

For the Polish through I was going with a different tact. I wanted them to see Germany as key to their success. I wanted them to grow and become prosperous. I wanted a Polish middle class like I wanted a German middle class. To achieve that I had a few different aces up my sleeve and I was going to play them when the time came for it.

Not An Update; Smitty's Thoughts

After seeing this going on for a while now and honestly getting tired of it, I decided instead of an update today I’m taking a moment to go into my thought processes and how the SI is behaving. If you guys want to get arguing after this over these topics I’m not jumping in again.

I’m not 100% sure I made this clear before but I taking this time now to do this. The SI is based on an alt-version of myself. In RL I’m a butcher or as my company I work for calls it a meat cutter. Further I’m a college drop out. Who prior to going to college took three attempts at getting through OUST at Benning before tearing my ACL again and being medically discharged under the Existing Prior To Service medical rules.

When I made the call not to use a perfect version of myself for this TL I had to set down and create canon law for not only Dona but the SI who would be Wilhelm. As I outline in the very first update, the SI is a former Staff Sgt in the US Army who volunteered for the US Army Special Forces right out of high school. He made it through OUST and jump school with ease. But ran into a wall at Special Forces Preparation Course. Where he finished the course but didn’t do well enough to graduate.

After the second failure at SFPC he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne and ended up doing a tour in Afghanistan. He then did two further tours in Iraq, with the second one being a stop lost tour. At which point he is fairly jaded, but hadn’t lost his idealism. He then using GI Bill money goes to college and gets a double major in history and education. The history isn’t focus on any one subject as its more a general history degree[1]. See citation for the kinds of courses he could had possibly taken as I’m not naming them even through I know which ones he took.

Following him earning his degree from USF he gets hired right out of the gate by the local school board to teach high school history. Like in the army he becomes jaded, but this time his idealism had been weaken by this point and he has become more cynical. Knowing he will be broke as a joke if he stays as a teacher he goes back to school. First, he takes a couple of courses to refresh himself on economics before getting into the master’s program for economics. He doesn’t finish it before he “dies” and become Crown Prince Wilhelm next in line to be Kaiser of Germany with a Fredrick the Third who is already dying from cancer as Kaiser.

I can already hear it, Smitty what does this have to do with Wilhelm taking the course of actions he has? Simple, he has only his memory to draw on. I never planned this TL where the SI or Dona make the perfect call every time. There are no books or resources that tell him how to deal with counterinsurgency operations. He was also jaded by how the US Army handed both Iraq and Afghanistan and their counterinsurgency operations. Did the SI ever go beyond his orders? Nope. But it the war in both Iraq and Afghanistan left a mark on the SI Wilhelm.

Now as Kaiser of Germany he knows that counterinsurgency is a possibly his armies will be facing in future wars. His knowledge base on the subject is slim at best. He really didn’t study it at USF as it brought back bad memories from Iraq and Afghanistan. Nor did he read books on the subject for the same reason. He comes up with a few conclusions about it early on while drawing up his master plan. The first and fore most being a conscription-based army isn’t the best one to put on a counterinsurgency operation. Next, he wanted the law about what counts as a legal and illegal combatant to be crystal clear. Finally, to keep his own soldiers from going off the reservation the punishment for unlawful combatants needed to end up in the death of said unlawful combatant. He however needed to tempter that with the rule of law. This is how we got to where we are in the story.

Now yes he did try live and let live policy for a while through. That however failed as soon as someone got their rifle and started shooting at Germans. Even with a live and let live policy someone is going to do something stupid sooner or later. Laws of averages IMO. And given all the dumb shit I see smart people do with almost two bloody decades of working grocery retail behind me, I couldn’t in my right mind come to an answer where someone wouldn’t do something stupid no matter what policies were put in place.

Further I made a point to show the military justice system working. There are those within the Army who think Wilhelm is being far too soft on this subject. There are still those who want go on and do what the OTL Germans did in Belgium in WWI. They however aren’t going there for a host of reasons. Namely they seen what happened to people who crossed Wilhelm before. Namely in the aftermath of the 19 Days and how that ended for them.

To end this part of my rant, remember there are no references for either Wilhelm or Dona. So they reference say FM 3-24, the US Army field manual on counterinsurgency. Or A Global History of Relocation in Counterinsurgency Warfare by Edward J Erickson. They have what is in their head and the information they would have was Kaiser and his wife in 1905.

Moving on.

Why the alliance with Japan which started this whole war? Before we get into that, I’m starting this section of the debate with a simple statement. Anyone who thinks they can talk another nation to NOT declare war after one of their own warships was blown up by another nation, is talking madness. If this happened as it did in ITL, no way are you talking anyone down. At that point you have a choice you honor the treaty or so the world your word is meaningless.

Now with that out of the way. Why Japan? The SI is looking at this from multiple angles. First off the SI never did trust Russia as far as he could throw them. Both in the 21st century and during his time as Kaiser. He understood a united China was a long term threat no matter what. Something when creating his master plan he wanted to cut the legs out from China if all possible. Also wanting to have a presence in the Pacific long term as he is trying to build a global empire that unites into a single nation he needed an ally that could throw some power around in the Pacific. (No I’m not going into details, but yes the Kaiser is trying to create a Global Empire/Nation.) With both Russia and China being not just noes but hell noes, that left Japan and the United States. The United States in the late 19th century would never agree to an alliance with anyone. So now we are stuck with Japan.

The SI knows of Japan’s problems from OTL. He also takes a different take on how Japan ended up like it did. He believed that in both 1895 and 1905 Japan was slided by Western Powers are hard fought victories. First against China then against Russia. Mine you this is OTL. Then came two events that cemented the path that Japan would walk OTL. The first was the Twenty-One Demands in 1915. Even through the SI believes the Japanese overplayed there hand there, the second one came at Washington Naval Conference in 1922 and 23. First they were forced to give up the Kiautschou Bay concession and then accept 60% of the tonnage of the US. With these events the SI believed that Japan had finally decided that the West was never going to accept them and they when fucking nuts for lack of better words. Granted it’s a simple view point but I’m not cracking open my canon notes for this.

With that the SI had moved to an effort to reign in the worse impulses of Japan. Its why he made the treaty a dual offensive and defensive treaty. OTL the British didn’t think the Japanese would be bold enough to try a war with the Russians. ITL the SI knows they are that bold and wanted to pump the brakes on a war fought there. This way he could control the opening of a war to a degree. He like everyone else through was blindsided by what happened in Korea. As some poster said, every one was caught with their pants down and their *%&$ in their hands. Or something to that effect.

Further an alliance with Japan forces the Russia to fight on a second front. Plus, Japan is equally vested in keeping China down. Both are which things the SI Kaiser wants. Then the SI believes that even a larger Japan will never have the economy to be a direct threat to Germany. The only two that are the United States of America and whole of the British Empire.

As to that can of worms, that’s something else and not being covered here. With all of that said, I’m done with debating this. There are reasons why things are happening. Just don’t yell they should know better or this is bad. I’m tired of it. Remember they have only memories. While Dona is more important for the follow-on TL I got planned, its why I’m diving into the SI Wilhelm here. Well one of many. But simply find the hole in the logic I followed. Both Dona and the SI Wilhelm are not all-knowing people who can pull the correct answer for every problem out on a whim. This isn’t that kind of SI story.

[1] https://catalog.usf.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=13&poid=4365

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIX

London
Trafalgar Square
December 29 1905

As the Mercedes Simplex drove me to the place where I staying for this visit my mind was already in overdrive. It was a bit chilly but with the speeds my driver was driving at and my warm dress I was fine. I just wished that Mercedes would come up with an enclosed car instead of this open top design they were currently making. Then again this was the state of the art for the here and now.

With France out of the war, it was believed that Russia would last only at most 18 months, likely less. Their Pacific and Baltic Fleets had been defeated in turn and weren’t a direct threat to anyone anymore. The Black Sea Fleet was still a threat but the British were moving elements of the Grand Fleet into the Mediterranean than the Black Sea to defeat it. Plus, with growing efforts to cut Russian trade off from the world it was only a matter of time before the Russian economy tanked. To be honest I’m shocked it hadn’t yet.

On land the Russians it seemed were trying to hold the fortress line along the Vistula in the Congress of Poland. In the Baltic region itself was somewhat static at the moment but that and the position in Poland would change come April with the German spring offensive. On the Arctic Front it was also static but no one wanted to fight there and for damn good reason. Over in the Caucasus things were fairly static but given the terrain there it wasn’t surprising. The final land front was over in Manchuria where the Russians were trading land for time. Harbin was under threat from a joint Japanese Australian Army force. Sakhalin, well most likely Sakhalin would be known as Karafuto in a generation or two had also fallen to the Japanese.

With everyone giving Russia less than 18 months everyone was here in London to talk what pieces of silver and gold they would all walk away at the peace table. It was this reason my mind was racing as I was being driven to the palace where I was staying as a guess. I knew now there would be no way in hell I could dismantle Russia the way I wanted to. It was now triage to save something out of this mess that the British were creating.

I knew going in the British would try to keep me from weaking Russia too much. I had been hoping to carve off the Baltic states, Finland, White Russia, and the Ukraine. Give the British a fig leaf in the Ukraine to get them to go along with this. Then back a coup down the line and get a pro-German government running the show in Kiev. Yet this was no dice with the British. So, it was now a question what next and what was important to me to get something worth it out of this war to better position myself for the next war.

1905 Year in Review

War Were Declared

Side One: The German Empire, The British Empire & Dominions, The Kingdom of Italy, The Japanese Empire, The Ottoman Empire, The Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Portugal, The Kingdom of Romania, The Republic of the United States of Brazil, The Rattanakosin Kingdom, The Korean Empire

Side Two: The Russian Empire, The Third Republic of France, The Kingdom of Belgium

Key Neutrals: The Austro-Hungarian Empire, The United States of America,

Domestic

Disabled Veterans Act of 1905

With the growing influx of veterans who had been psychically disabled via the war the Reichstag with the urging of Kaiser Wilhelm passed the Disabled Veterans Act. Along with the government disability pension granted to the veteran who has lost the ability to do something because of his service, this act offers them much more help.

Veterans who qualify for help, will be given training to reenter the work force in such a way that works around their disability. Further they will be given help modifying their homes to make it easier for them to live if needed. On the topic of housing land lords can’t refuse disable veterans nor needed modifications needed to help them live the fullest life they can. These landlords through will be given financial reimbursement for any issues this created. Finally, it creates a system of hospitals for veterans to help tend to their medical issues.

This law applies to both the German Army and the Schutztruppe. The law is less clear on those who served in the Strafbataillon through. This law is also retroactive to former veterans who were disabled prior to the passage of this law. Along with that it will cover all veterans who become disabled going forward.

Changes Within Government Personal

Following a stroke Generalfeldmarschall Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff retired from his post as Chief of the General Staff. Generalfeldmarschall Karl von Einem was named as his replacement.

Newly Signed Treaties

A cease fire was signed with the French and Belgian government this year.

The Istanbul Agreement

With the withdraw all foreign military forces garrisoning Crete the Greeks decided to use this time to move and bring Crete within their kingdom. This almost sparked a war between the Greeks and Ottomans which would made things interesting to say the least. Then on top of this the Bulgarians used this war to declare their full independence from the Ottoman Empire.

This led to rapid moves by both the British and German foreign offices to keep a war from breaking out as neither nation wanted to see the war spread to the Balkans. This led to the Istanbul Agreement being signed.

Under this agreement the Ottomans agreed to allow the Greeks to have control of Crete but they do not give diplomatic recognition to Greek control of Crete. In return for this the Ottomans receive a large amount of aid by both the British and German governments to help the Ottomans fight the war. As for the Bulgarians, both the British and Germans would give the new government diplomatic recognition but the Ottomans would not have to do so.

For the Germans this led to the creation of the Military Assistance Command, Caucasus. MAC-C has a large number of officers and NCOs assigned to help improve the Ottoman Army. This also sees the recall of Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz with the rank of Generaloberst. By the end of the year, over 18,000 Germans where serving in MAC-C. As for equipment the Ottomans were supplied with large amounts of captured of French and Russian small arms and artillery to help them.

As for the British it seems them hand over control of a number of warships. This includes the battleships of the Swiftsure Class which the British had brought from the Chilean government following the Pact of May that ended the Argentine–Chilean naval arms race. It also sees the British turn over control of a pair of armored cruisers that had been brought by the British after the start of the war from both the Argentines and Chileans to help both nations meet the terms agreed to under the Pact of May. These were the Chilean Armored Cruiser O'Higgins and Argentine Armored Cruiser ARA Garibaldi.

Finally, both the British and Germans agreed that any peace treaty with the French would see the French discharged all Ottoman Debt held by the French government and French people. It also guaranteed the Ottomans would be given the Kars and Batum Oblasts from the Russians reversing the losses of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

Foreign Regions

United States

Stable

Britain

Slightly Decreasing

France

The Cease Fire is Holding

Italy

Improving

Austria-Hungary

To stay the relationship is in the gutter would be insulting to the gutter.

Russia

War Were Declared

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Maschinengewehr 05

Mass: 38.5 kg
Length: 1,655 mm
Barrel Length: 1,145 mm
Cartridge: 13.2 x 95 mm High Explosive (Ballistically this is about .50 BMG)
Action: Short-Recoil
Effective Direct Fire Range: 1,800 m
Effective Indirect Fire Range: 7,000 m

Granatenwerfer 05

Fits on the Gewehr 02. See InRange TV’s video on the M7 Grenade Launcher.

Panzerwagen I

Mass: 3,200 kg
Crew: 3
Armor: 7 mm at its thickest
Armament: Maschinengewehr 03
Engine: Inline Six Cylinder, Water Cooled

Hannover Class Battleships

4 x 30.5 L/45s in Twins, 12 x 24 cm L/45s in Twins, 8.8 cm secondaries, 21 kts, well armored/KCA

Hannover
Pommern

Emden Class Light Cruisers

3,800 tons, 12 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 27 knots

6 Ordered

U-4 Class Submarine

350 tons surfaced, 440 tons submerged, 2 bow tubes, 11 kts surfaced, 6 kts submerged

2 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Wilhelm’s knee issues notwithstanding both Wilhelm and Dona are in good health and sprits.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XX

London
Buckingham Palace
January 18 1906

“It’s still too much!” King Edward VII said with his voice being hoarse. Already a heavy smoker prior to the war, during the war it became common for Edward to use cigarette he had been smoking to lit the one he would start smoking next. It was the same with his cigar habit. His doctors were begging with Edward to ease up on his tobacco use as they were worried about his health. A number of papers had been published by the Germans outlining the connection between tobacco use and cancer. One of the doctors who had published this had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year. It was the four time in a row that a German doctor had been awarded that Nobel Prize. Still, that didn’t stop Edward from smoking as he was claiming not to trust the German doctors and their research.

“Sir we pushed as far as we dared.” Prime Minister H. H. Asquith said. He had replaced former Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman who over the past year had suffered a series of heart attacks. Following the last one in late November which was the worse yet and with his health getting worse by the day, CB resigned and turned over the premiership to Asquith. That however didn’t help CB who died just before the new year from another heart attack.

“Germany is not to gain an inch in Europe!” Edward said as he pounded his fist on the table before he coughed again. Edward had a burning hate of his nephew Kaiser Wilhelm II that burn hotter than the pits of hell of itself. That was no secret within the upper crest of British social circles. Most didn’t understand it as they found Wilhelm to be a likeable person in general, but Edward was king and they weren’t.

What however had changed opinions on Germany was the performance of its army in this war. Its performance had been a shock to the everyone. Many had been expecting the French and Russia to be defeated but only after the Rhineland and East Prussia had been laid waste to. It had been viewed as such a likely possibly that the British Army even drew up plans to be shipped to Germany to help the Germans make a stand against either the Russians or French depending on where it looked like the Germans would collapse first. Not only did that not happened but Germany held off both the French and Russians single handily. Then they mounted offensives against both and won.

“Sir, they can’t be treated in such a way.” Asquith said as he was hoping his monarch would drop it. Germany would be making some gains in Europe, with mild gains from the Belgians, French, and Russians. Yes, a few states would be carved off Russia but only Poland would have royal ties with the Germans. The only reason Poland would have those ties was because the British knew they needed a Roman Catholic to rule on that throne and they didn’t have any whereas Germany did.

“Can we not get the Austrians in it to help our cause?” Edward asked before breaking out in another coughing attack.

Asquith waited a moment for the coughing to die down. Before the coughing was over Edward picked up his cigarette holder and opened it up and pulled out another cigarette. By Asquith’s count that was Edward’s third in the past 30 minutes as he lit it up. As Edward was taking a pull on the cigarette after the coughing ended Asquith spoke.

“Sir the Austrians aren’t people we can’t depend on right now.” The Austrians and Hungarians while not coming to open blows yet the Austro-Hungarian Empire was to put it simply a hot mess. Even the British weren’t sure to make of things there at moment.

Edward let out the smoke as Asquith finished speaking only to start coughing again. This time Asquith noticed something different. This was because there was a fine red mist coming out of his monarch’s mouth and was staining papers on the desk they were working on. The coughing fit was worse this time as well. Asquith called out loudly, “Get the doctor!”

The Death of a Revolutionary

Lviv, Austro-Hungarian Empire
Hotel
January 21 1906

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov had escaped the loving care of the Okhrana by the skin of his teeth. The Russian people had seen defeat after defeat, they were dealing with food shortages, and the value of the Ruble was dropping like a rock, Vladimir had attempted to start a revolution against the Tsar. His efforts through had been crushed by the Leib Guard that had been stations in Petrograd. In that fail attempt he had suffer a near miss with death. He only figured that out later when he had been in a safe house and noticed the bullet hole in his jacket’s neck. A few more millimeters to the right it would had tore open his neck open. There was no coming back from that.

Since that failed attempt in Petrograd Vladimir had been working his way out of Russia. The Leib Guard and Okhrana had either killed of captured a number of his key lieutenants and destroyed his attempt at overthrowing the Tsar. They almost caught him a few times as well. While the Russian people wanted the war to be over the Tsar still had control of the Leib Guard and Okhrana. Plus, the military seem to still be largely under the Tsar’s control as well.

Here in Lviv he was going to be resting before moving back to Vienna in effort to regroup and possibly return to Russia. Things were such that he believed he might had been too early in this effort at overthrowing the Tsar. Yet as he lay his head down, he pounder how he could do things differently next time.

A few hour later a man worked quickly with a lock pick at the door. Once the lock had been unlocked, he entered the room with the silenced M1895 Nagant revolver. The Nagant was an odd designed that allowed it to be silenced for this kind of work. This one had been modified since it had been captured with not only the silencer but with tritium night sights as well. The silencer had a new set of wipes in it so it would be totally quiet for all seven shots if that was needed.

Moving quietly the man made his way to the bed. He saw his target and pointed the revolver at the head of the man before pulling the trigger. The silencer made a whisper of the gun shot to the point the sound of the hammer falling was louder. Moving closer he put his hand on the target’s neck. There was no pulse. With that he put the Nagant back in his holster which was under his jacket.

Still moving quietly he when back to the door that had been locked. Once there he worked with his lock picking tools again and locked the door. He then left the hotel and spent a few hours wondering Lviv to make sure he wasn’t be followed before he made his way to his stay at the German safehouse in the city. He didn’t know why the Kaiser wanted this man dead, but it was his job to do it.

The Death of King Edward VII

London
Palace of Westminster
February 9 1906

“George how are you holding up?” I asked the new King of Britain and Emperor of India. The man never expected to be king and it wasn’t the best time to become one either.

His father the fat ass had a very aggressive cancer it seemed as his health just when to shit over the past month before passing a few hours ago. Even before then his health hasn’t been the best. I know I told him more than once he needed to lay off the tobacco. While I was known to rarely smoke a cigar Edward seemed to be smoking a case of them every couple of days at the end. Even after the doctors told him he had cancer and begged him to stop. Even through I hated the man, I made my own effort with him and tried to get him to smoke some cannabis with me to ease the pain. Personally, I enjoyed smoking cannabis far more than any form of tobacco. Even then I didn’t smoke it that often, maybe at most a few times a year. He had refused my offers through and stuck to his tobacco.

George’s older brother Eddy had been assassinated by a splinter group of Boers who had decided to keep up the fight with the British a few years ago. Mary of Teck and their only son had been caught up in that attack as well. Then again, Edward was a sickly boy who I honestly doubted he would had ever had seen adulthood, but his life had been enough to allow George to maintain his naval career. A career from what I could tell he truly loved. Well till everything had when sideways. He and his wife Alexandrine along with their children had been at Singapore when this happened where George had been commanding of a cruiser squadron in 1903.

George had only been training to be the monarch for three years now and he hadn’t been expecting to be king anytime soon either. I think he was still coming to grips with everything. His son Alfred was here as well. The kid was only five and I didn’t think he understood the importance of everything that was happening here. Alfred wasn’t even the oldest but he was next in line because all of the three kids George had father had been daughters.

Finally, after a long moment George spoke, “I wasn’t expecting this.” He said with noticeable tone of sadness in his voice.

“Nobody ever does.” I replied. Death was a tricky thing. Expecting it made it somewhat easier but still it was something no amount of prep that made it easier to deal with.

The silence returned after I spoke. “Wilhelm, you will always have a friend here.” He said as he stood up from the chair, he had been setting in. He then walked over to me and gave me what I would had called in the 21st century a bro hug. I could tell he was still dealing with the grief of losing his father but he was trying to put on a strong face. Unlike his father and mother, he didn’t have the hate of me. He honestly seemed to have respect for me which would be a welcomed change from the fat ass who made it clear he hated me.

Alexandra then entered the room where I was speaking with George. “You aren’t welcomed here Wilhelm!” She all but screamed. Could this woman not get over 1864? I thought to myself.

George pulled away from me, “Mother, don’t.” He simply replied looking at her. Well then, I thought this should be fun to watch. George kept going, “He is a fellow monarch and a member of the family. You need to show him respect.”

“Respect hell. His armies are going to run over all of Europe like the Huns if you don’t stop him!” Alexandra screamed!

Personally, I was thinking that wasn’t by choice. That was more being forced by geography and the fucking British who weren’t going to allow me to secure my eastern flank like I wanted to in Europe. If they had allowed me to break off White Russia, the Ukraine, and some puppets in the Caucasus to help pop up the Ottomans I could honestly see no need for a second war from my point of view. I however wasn’t foolish enough to think a second war wouldn’t happen as others would want one. To many hard feelings would be left over to keep it from happening. Now with the British fucking with what Germany wanted, it would all but set in stone there would be a second war now.

It was why I was already taking steps to lock out the British when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed like a house of cards. I was already pulling fuel on that fire, but I was waiting for the right moment to being it to critical temperature. The British had no idea what kind of fire they were playing with in regards to me and Germany. Right now through, I had to play the game.

Cloak Then Dagger Pt III

Prague
Safe House
March 8 1906

Hauptmann Martin Padovaner wasn’t enjoying his current assignment as much as he had his seven missions he had performed behind French lines before they bowed out of the war. Since the surrender of France Martin and the rest of the Brandenburger Battalion had been moving slowly into Austria-Hungary. Unlike the direct actions they undertook against the French the Brandenburgers here had been meeting with various contacts and being used as middlemen for something that was well and truly over their paygrade.

Currently Martin was going by the name of Simon P. Gruber. He ran a small import export business that specialized in bring in advance medication from Germany into Austria-Hungary. Sulfa drugs that had been developed in Germany had radically changed medication. Even through Sulfa drugs had been the ones getting the biggest amount of sun put on them, other drugs that had been found in German labs had also played a big role in changing how people maintain the health of people. Insulin was something that also was getting a fair bit of play in the press and currently was in clinical trials within Germany. He had studied this in the event he was to be arrested so he could pass this off well enough to be believed.

Martin had just finished cleaning his Baby Browning pistol. It was another pistol that had come about from the Mauser-Browning partnership. The gun itself was very light and fit in the size of a person’s hand in such a way it can be plumed by the hand itself. It fired the fairly new 6.35 x 16 mm round. While it wouldn’t put down a target at range give its small size and limited power it was perfect for personal defense work. With it being cleaned he picked up the small magazine and loaded five rounds into the six round magazine. Even through it held six rounds it just fed better if you down loaded the magazine. It was why there was a spare magazine that when in the holster that he wore.

With his pistol loaded Martin double checked his orders one last time. He was to be making a delivery of supplies to a pro-Berlin Czech group. With his orders being triple check, he placed the orders into the fireplace that was burning near him and watched as the paper burned. It would soon be time to leave and make his delivery of money and some other goods to this group.

As he watched the fireplace burn Martin noticed that something in the air was different here in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Blue Cornflowers were a common sight here in Prague. Indeed, even in other parts of Cisleithania such as Duchy of Carniola and Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria it was common to see Blue Cornflowers being worn by people of all walks of life. There were even some Blue Cornflowers that had been spotted in the Hungarian parts of the empire. The Hungarians through were cracking down hard on anyone caught wearing one. There was so many people in Cisleithania wearing Blue Cornflowers through it was impractical to arrest everyone wearing one. This was because it was a simple of symbol of defiance.

People were becoming disillusioned by the rule of the Hapsburgs. The few public events being done by Franz Joseph wasn’t helping the cause as it was becoming increasingly well known that he was not well. The heir apparent in Franz Ferdinand was not well like by the public. In Austria proper there was a growing movement for Lizi as Martin knew her to return home and rule. Even more so she was pregnant with her first child at the moment. Even if that meant that Berlin would be the capital of the empire and not Vienna.

Boom Pt I

Modlin, German Occupied
Modlin Fortress
March 29 1906

Newly promoted Feuerwerksoberleutnant Hans Dallmann wasn’t use to his current task. He was currently performing staff work after spending the majority of the war calling in artillery support for the 3. Grenadier Regiment. It however been decided above his paygrade that Dallmann needed to get off the line and start to learn what it meant to be a staff officer. Currently he was performing the duty of being one of the liaison officers between XI Korp and the Vistula River Squadron of the Kaiserliche Marine.

In its effort to help the campaign to root out the Russian fortress systems the Kaiserliche Marine had spent the past year building up a riverine monitor and gun boat force. These gun boats were built quickly and were armed with army artillery or dismounted guns off iron clads that were being decommissioned by the Kaiserlicher Marine. Indeed, Dallmann had seen a damaged monitor docked here earlier today that told of the battle that was ongoing to clean out the forts around Warsaw and open up the Vistula to German merchant traffic to support the army.

As for where his current office was, two weeks prior it had been under Russian control. Yet in a fast and well organize assault the old fort which dated back to the French during the Napoleonic Wars fell quickly to the Germans. The Russians had been caught by surprise by the formation and appearance of the Vistula River Squadron. It was this force which had help achieved the quick victory here. So quickly that the ordnance technicians were still removing the massive amounts of Russian artillery and ordnance that had been left here.

Currently he was serving as a relay between the front and the navy’s monitors and gunboats. One thing that had come up in this campaign so far was the army and navy had different radio equipment and they couldn’t be used to talk to each other. It was why Dallmann was acting as a relay at the moment. The information would get back to him, them he would hand it over to the navy who would pass it on to the monitors or gun boats as needed. It added time to the process to get high explosive on target, but it seemed to be working for the moment.

Just as he was handing the naval officer the latest set of changes to fire for one of the gun boats, Dallmann heard a deafening blast off in the distance. Moments later he was feeling the shock of the blast. Unknown to Dallmann or anyone in this captured Russian fort one of the forts that was guarding Warsaw just suffered a magazine explosion. This explosion saw just over 2,700,000 kilos worth of explosives go up in a massive explosion.

The Fall of Tsar Nicholas II

St. Petersburg, Russia
Winter Palace
May 1 1906

Tsar of All Russia Nicholas the Second was in a foul mood. His personal life had been suffering and badly this year. His only son had died in February when his hemophiliac caused him to die from blood lost from a cut that wouldn’t stop bleeding. That had been a bitter blow. Then that had been compounded by the death of his wife a week later. Her death through could had been preventive through. In her grief she had turned to the bottle to the point of drinking to excess. He should had seen the warning signs that she was drinking too much but he was also dealing with his own grief and didn’t do anything about. She died chocking on her own vomit.

Further the war wasn’t going well for his nation. In the far east the Japanese had taken control of Sakhalin and Harbin had just fallen to a joint Japanese Australian Army. If other things panned out he had hope he could crush the yellow devils and return Port Arthur to the rightful control of the Russian Empire. Expect things elsewhere wasn’t going as well as he had hoped.

When that fort exploded in Warsaw it had been holding just under half of all of the ordnance for that sector of the front. The Germans had moved before they had expected and far more surgical as well. The loss of Modlin Fortress within only three days of fighting had been a rude shock to STAVKA who believed the fort could hold out for weeks. Then after that fort when up in what Nicholas had been told in what was one of the largest explosions known to man the Germans had reacted far quicker than his forces did. Within a week the Russian Army had been forced to abandon Warsaw to the advancing German Army.

Elsewhere against the Germans Riga was in danger of falling to the Germans with the Germans having advance cavalry forces as far north as Pärnu and Tartu. With that report being three days old it was possible that Riga had already fallen to the Germans and the Germans were further north and in strength. The Germans seemed to be everywhere at once and in such force his armies even with the highly skilled artillery forces couldn’t defeat them. Further north the Swedish with the help the Germans had landed troops in Finland in a surprise move that had caught everyone in STAVKA by surprise again. With the Baltic Fleet being down to old iron clads mostly they weren’t in a position to challenge the landings.

Things further south weren’t much better. A joint British-Indian and Romanian Army was on the west bank of the Dniester and intelligence was pointing to and attempt in the works to cross the Dniester. Nicholas didn’t know how much trust he had for that intelligence as it had missed the Germans building a riverine fleet to help them take Warsaw. In the Caucasus his army was spending as much time fighting the Turks as they were fighting the locals who were rebellion against his rule. In Central Asia the British with their Indian Troops had just crossed the Amu Darya. This was after last year of raiding Turkmenistan by cavalry forces of the British Indian Army.

His nation was losing the war. He already lost his wife and son. He didn’t know how much more he could lose. Then again that wasn’t getting into the domestic issues his nation was facing. The socialist had attempted an uprising against his rule. There were riots and uprising in a number of cities across the empire protesting a host of things about the war and economy. The ruble was almost worthless with small ruble note being printed right now being a 10,000 ruble note and the largest being a 500,000 ruble note. Coins being made ranged from 500 to 1,000 rubles in value. The economy was in free fall right now and it was showing.

Then the door opened with no one knocking on it. Then came in Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. He was a raising star within the Russian Army having managed to keep some of the Russian defeats from becoming full on rout by the Germans. After Nicholas had assumed personal command of the army he had brought Grand Duke Nicholas to serve on STAVKA.

“Its over Nicholas.” The Grand Duke Nicholas said without a hint or remorse.

“What’s over?” Nicholas asked confused by the statement. He also noticed the lack of respect being shown by the Grand Duke. However, his mood was such his brain wasn’t putting it together.

“Your rule and the war. George is now the Tsar of all Russians. You are to go into exile Nicholas.” The George he was speaking of had just become the Tsesarevich again after the death of the former Tsar’s son in February. George had been the third child of Tsar Alexander the Third. Granted George did not have the best of health and wasn’t the idea person for the job. However, those who were taking part in this didn’t expect him to live long anyways. He already had a son who they hoped would have better health and they could raise that boy to be a good leader and help restore Russia to her rightful place as the heir to the claim of being the Roman Empire.

“Why?” Nicholas asked as it hit him. He really didn’t have a lot of fight left in him at this point through.

“You had led Russia to the blink, you are not the one who can lead us back to greatness.”

“Can my daughters come with me?” He decided to accept this as his brain process the information.

“Yes, your daughters can come with you Nicholas. We aren’t monsters.”

Peace? Pt II

Berlin
Schloss Charlottenburg
May 6 1906

As my children got older and started having their own lives it reminded me that I was getting old. My youngest four would be turning 14 in a few weeks. Then again, I wasn’t sure what god or deity allowed Dona to carry all four them for as long as she did or kept all four alive and Dona after their birth. They however would all be having a private if small scale birthday party for them. Then they would be making their first public events soon after that. Even through all four were fair away from being next in line to be the Kaiser of Germany they would still have to perform royal duties.

Lizi who was my daughter in every way but blood and my daughter in law via her marriage to Eitel was due to have her first child next month. Once Eitel was back from the front, Lizi took leave of her duty as a nurse and came home to Berlin the first chance she got. No one saw either of them for a week solid after that. A month later was when Lizi told us that she was expecting. Junior was going to get marry early next year to his arranged wife Countess Maria. If he had the same kind of drive, he did with his current mistress I knew they would start popping out kids here soon after that wedding. It was just another reminder I was getting old. Then again, I was pushing 50 now.

I was watching my remaining kids who were still too young to be actively help the war effort in some way play a game of football or soccer in the back of my mind, one of my aides came up to me. “Sir Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen wishes to speak to you right now.”

“Very well I will be there in a few moments.” I said to my aide. Turning to my kids “Keep on playing, I have some work to attend to.” What followed was a chorus of I love you papa or dad. When it was just the family, we were fairly informal. I wished Dona could had been here, but she was in Hannover right now.

As I got up from my seat you could hear a number of joints snap and crack as I started to move after sitting for about an hour and half. Anymore when I woke up in the morning, I had to stretch for a good ten minutes just so I wouldn’t be stiff when I moved. It also helped me to walk better than I otherwise would be able to. Granted I still needed a cane as my knee had never heal right after that ACL tear, but the limp wasn’t as noticeable as it once was.

It took me a little bit to get to the office that Foreign Minister von Schoen was. “Sir the Russians had asked for a cease fire via the Swiss. The British have accepted this on the spot. All other nations said they needed to talk to their capitals first.”

“Perfidious Albion as expected.” I said as I had been expecting this. My intelligence people had been tailing British diplomats in Switzerland for the past month and there had been a number of contacts between those diplomats and Russian ones. Given how our treaty was set up I and my nation should had been informed of these contacts. Yet this didn’t surprise me. I knew the British would try to fuck me over, but I had to make a deal with that devil so I could destroy them later.

“What else to we know about this?” I asked trying to put a plan together.

“Nicholas is personally leading a team to the negotiation that are happening in London. He will set sail from St. Petersburg once all nations agree to a cease fire.”

That caught be off guard. Nicholas didn’t have the skills to do that and I knew it. Hell, everyone knew it. Nicholas was the last person you wanted to do this. “I wonder who is pulling his strings.” I mused out loud. “Find out if he still has power or if he is being forced out. I don’t like an unknown like this.” I told my foreign minister.

“Yes sir.” He replied.

I thought for a moment. “Inform the Russians it will take 48 hours for our army units to get notice of the cease fire. That 48 hour mark will be from when you inform them of our acceptance of the cease fire.” That was total bullshit and I knew it. At most it would take 12 hours not 48. “Take your time to reply to this as I want your answer to be perfect. Let me know when you send this message out.”

He had a slight smile on his face as he knew what I was up to. “Yes sir.” He said as he took his que to leave the room.

That gave me about 60 hours to advance my army forward. I had to make this count as it would help my negotiation position when the peace summit in London started.

The Crux of the Problem

Riga, German Occupied
Schwarzhäupterhaus
May 25 1906

With the Baltic needing to be cleared of sea mines before Nicholas could travel to London, I had decided to perform a fact-finding mission in the Baltic States region. Even with the tricks I had did my armies didn’t have the whole of the region under its control. The Russians formed a pocket of troops around Tallinn which was going to make any chance of me annexing Latvia and Estonia as one grand duchy to attach to my empire challenging as hell. My armies through were within spitting distance of Pskov and striking distance of Minsk so I could use that for some horse trading.

The goal of this fact-finding mission was to build up the case that the people of the Baltic Region would be best served by being directly annexed by the German Empire. This was being help by the fact there were a lot of Baltic Germans in the region. Granted they didn’t form a majority of the population, but a sizable minority to be sure. Plus, with my efforts to welcome in the Poles of Posen that enough Latvians seem to be opened to the idea of becoming part of the German Empire to make it workable in the long run. I hadn’t gotten north into Estonia yet to find out.

Lithuania was the wild card of the Baltic region. Vilnius/Wilno was a tricky problem as not only did the Lithuanians want it but the Polish wanted it as well. Plus, ethnically it was currently majority Polish if historically Lithuanian. Then there was the rest of Lithuania itself. They had saw my efforts with the Poles in Posen along with the fact Germany had a white-hot economy pre-war. Those were both good things. Yet they seem undecided generally if they wanted to become part of the German Empire or become their own duchy.

Personally, I was leaning to annexing Lithuania along with the rest of the Baltic at this point. It was land that was rich farm land in general which I knew I would need for any future wars. I had to get Germany to the point it could feed itself. With me learning what was happening with the Russian economy would give me the political capital needed to force through some of my ideas. I would had to touch the third rail that were the farmers of Germany which I wasn’t looking forward to. Then there would be the formation of the national strategic reserve of resources. There were also a few other ideas that I would need to push but those needed more time to be fleshed out. Those two were at the top of my mind through.

Even if I did I still was left wondering who I would name as the Duke to rule the region/s. I spent most of the war looking at the Polish king question, and not much at the Baltic questions. This was largely because I wanted to get Poland right and I thought I had more time then I did. I was debating between some royal from one of the royal German courts or a local noble who would be open to what I wanted. I was looking at a few men.

As I was working on the Baltic, I had other men I trusted without question putting into place my multiple fold exit plan with the British. I already had Friedrich von Hollmann drawing up a new naval bill. The British had a number of Dreadnought battleships in the water at the moment even if they didn’t have that many in commission yet. But I would spring that next year even if I already had something in the works to one up the Dreadnoughts the British were building.

No, the main play was to keep the British looking at Russia in fear while I secured my gains from this war along with knock the last rotten leg from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and ate them as well. The fears of the British public was what I was going for not leadership. I knew the British leadership would be laser focus on me in a short time, if they weren’t already. They however couldn’t simply ignore the British public. If the British public was demanding them do to something about Russia it would create the breathing room I needed.

With the news that was coming out Russia right now, was working in my favor. Russia was on a brink of a revolution, possibly a civil war. And with British propaganda being as good as it was, it would take time for the British public to accept the Russians as allies. Plus with the various scary groups running amuck in Russia right now wouldn’t help in that. I also have newspapermen running those stories non-stop. Some where in the British Isles others were in Germany.

I needed three to five years to pull this off. The main question was would I get it.

Helping a Friend Out Pt I

London
Syon House
July 19 1906

Even through Wilhelm was busy dealing with the host of issues that was cropping up here he had asked me to take on a mission that needed tact and discretion. The impression I got in my efforts to set up this meeting was that Nicholas wanted this meeting where others in his camp didn’t. Yet for whatever reason those in the Russian camp finally dropped their objections to me visiting Nicholas my husband’s cousin in a personal capacity.

The bulk of the world didn’t know about the death of his only son or his wife till the aftermath of the ceasefire. The details on his wife’s death didn’t pass the smell test as Wilhelm said. Alexandra was a young woman. While she had never had the best of health’s her dying of a stroke seemed like a bit much. And so close after the death of her son just didn’t make sense to either me or Wilhelm. I was worried that she took her own life in her despair. I was also worried about the mental state of Nicholas.

As for the Russians here in London trying to hack out a peace deal to end the war they were in a dark mood. News from Russia was still spotty at the moment. This was because Russia was undergoing a massive revolution. I personally didn’t know if this was the 1905 Revolution, the February Revolution, or the November Revolution. Or it could be some unholy mix of all three. Fighting was taking place in a number of locations across their empire and assassinations were all to common at the moment. Everyone was too busy blaming everyone else for Russia’s defeat in this war. I honestly believed the only reason Nicholas and his daughters were still alive was because they were here in London.

Once I was in the room with the Tsar of Russia and a person I viewed as a friend with the door was shut, “Nicky what happened?” I asked in English. I couldn’t speak Russian and I figured German would just be too much for Nicholas even through he could speak it. French didn’t feel right either. So, I decided to speak English.

Nicholas unlike Wilhelm wasn’t that active in negotiations of this peace treaty. Wilhelm thought he was more figurehead at this point here to sign the treaty than he was going to be shown the door and pushed into exile. “Everything Dona.” He said softly.

This wasn’t the man I had come to known for the past two decades or so. He seemed totally defeated. This wasn’t good. While Wilhelm seem to have a fear bordering the irrational of Russia, even more so after the collapse of the Russian military during this war, he had no personal dislike of Nicholas. “Talk to me Nicky. This isn’t who you are.”

He looked at me for the first time since I had entered the room, we were currently in instead of looking out the window. You could see the stress on his face. I didn’t know if that was him now being a single parent or what was happening to his nation. Maybe it was both? “Come sit with me Dona.”

At that I walked over and pulled up a chair to the window that Nicholas was sitting by. It was looking out back and I saw his three daughters playing out back. They were all beautiful girls with the oldest being about eleven and the youngest being about five now if my memory served. Once in my seat with Nicholas looking out of the window again, “Where do I start Dona?”

“From the beginning Nicky. I’m hear to help you.” I replied.

It took a moment but I finally started to get a truer picture than the officially released statements of the Russians here. There were times Nicholas’ voice would crack and I put my hand on his to give him some comfort. Two hours later I had a much clearer picture of everything and I felt sorry for the man I was sitting next to.

“Where do you plan to go after here?” I asked him.

“I’m thinking about Bern. I already had an agent of mine looking to buy a villa there. Maybe Zürich through I’m not sure at the moment.” He replied. Unknown to me Nicholas had a Swiss bank account with over 20 million pounds sterling in it. He would never lack for money even if the bulk of his vast fortune was still trapped in Russia currently.

“Nicholas let me and Wilhelm know if there is anything we can do to help you. Anything at all.”

“Thank you, Dona.” Nicholas said as he saw his girls coming inside to each lunch. “Would you care to join me and my girls for lunch. I’m sure they would be happy to see you.”

“I would be honored Nicky.”

Planning Pt V

London
Kensington Palace
August 29 1906

I heard the door open to my study. I didn’t even look up to see who it was, because only one person would to this, “How is your day going love?” I asked my wife.

“It’s been a good day. I think Nicky is finally starting to turn corner.” She replied. Dona had made it her mission to get Nicky in a better mental spot than he currently was when he had reached London. I really didn’t have a problem with that as I held nothing against the man himself. It was Russia that scared the shit out of me. I already knew in my bones there would be another war with Russia at some point in the future. The British weren’t allowing me to cut it down to size here. If it had been up to me, White Russia, Ukraine, and a host of new nations in the Caucasus would be forming here. Finland and Sweden would be getting more land with Japan getting so much of Siberia they would be focus on building that up for decades to come. Not enough to choke on through. But it wasn’t to be.

The treaty would be signed in the next few days to end the war would have far less than what I wanted. The only thing worse than having the British as your enemy is to have them as your ally. However, I needed to make this deal with the devil to position myself for a better chance in the next war.

“What part of the treaty are you working on now dear?” Dona asked as she came up behind me. The way she was hugging me from behind told me I was going to have a busy night.

“I’m not.” I said being coy. The last few pieces of the treaty being hatched out really didn’t affect me or Germany in any way or shape or form. It was more the British trying to figure out what it was doing with a few French islands that they didn’t want, nor their White Dominions. I wasn’t about going after a French Caribbean Island. While it might had been nice for tourism later the down the road right now they would be nothing but money sinks and indefensible. It seemed a lot of other people were thinking the same thing as the British were shopping those islands around to see if anyone wanted them.

“Oh really?” Dona sounded surprise. “Then what you are working on?”

“The Plattenbau Bill.” I replied simply. During the war work on all major domestic legislation was shelfed with wartime legislation taking over. There had been some minor pieces of domestic legislation that had been passed during the war but nothing of note.

“Really?”

“Yes. I want this to be a gift to the people of Germany for winning the war. Well this and an improved series of veteran hospitals.” I wanted to have veterans who had come back wounded to make sure they would be taken care of. Granted I would need to fold in the new European lands I would be annexing into Germany. Then there would be reorganizing the colonies. Those however were long term projects. These were something I could do right away. There also was another reason I was focusing on the Plattenbau Bill.

I put my pen down and reached my good hand around and pulled Dona’s head closer to mine before whispering, “I plan to put the British asleep by making it look like I’m focusing on domestic matters while working in the shadows in the foreign world.” Even through at this treaty there wouldn’t be any states formed in the Caucasus, that area of Russia was in full open revolt against the rule of Petrograd. If I played it right, I could possibly form one or two nations in the Caucasus to weaken Russia further and get some more allies. It also wasn’t clear if Russia was in the middle of a revolution right now or a civil war. The British press through were having a field day with it just like I hoped through.

She briefly looked at me and just shook her head. She and I still disagreed on the idea of a Second Weltkrieg would happen or not. Or as it was known currently the Great War. She just shook her head. “You need to get ready anyways. This bill can wait. There is a state dinner we have to attend.”

“Yes dear.”

Peace? Pt III

London
Westminster
September 9 1906

Everyone was here taking photos for the end of the London Peace Conference. While I didn’t get everything I wanted in this treaty, honestly not even close Germany still did well. I had a more secured border with the French now. I had grown in the east slightly even if I didn’t get all of the Baltic. We also saw the birth of three new nations, Poland which was clearly in my sphere of influence. There was also the birth of the Kingdom of Finland and the Grand Duchy of the Baltic. Finland I had made a push for that nation to be treaty neutral and got it to stick.

There was a reason I wanted Finland to be treaty neutral even if they didn’t get all the land they wanted on the or around the Karelian Isthmus. I knew damn well that the Russians would roll any Finnish defense if they ever got their shit together. You couldn’t count on the White Death or Soviet incompetence to keep the Finns free long term. So it was more an effort to make it where no one would want to attack Finland, or at least that was the hope.

As for the Grand Duchy of the Baltic that was a loaded question. The British were trying to bring that into their sphere of influence, or that was my belief. Based on my time there I didn’t think the people there wanted to be in that sphere of influence. Well the locals who held power didn’t want it, they want to either be part of Germany or in a German sphere of influence. But with the gains I was making in the east I couldn’t push it.

Still I knew I had gotten enough out of this treaty to better position Germany for the future. So like everyone else here I was smiling for the photos being taken for the histories.

Treaty of London

Article I, European Territorial Gains

Subsection I.I, German Gains

The Belfort Gap, Vosges Mountain Range, all the land on the east bank of Meurthe River, and the towns of Briey and Longwy shall be annexed by the German Empire.

The Arrondissements of Arlon and Bastogne shall be annexed by the German Empire.

The Courland Governorate and Kovno Governorate in whole, the northern bank of the Neris River up to and including the town of Prienai, from the township of Prienai the border shall follow the map. (OTL Lithuanian-Belarusian Border outside where it reaches the Kovno Governorate)

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg shall be annexed by the German Empire by mutual agreement of both nations.

Subsection I.II, Italian Gains

The County of Nice and Duchy of Savoy as they were in 1860 along with the towns of Menton and Roquebrune and the island of Corsica and nearby islands shall be annexed by the Italian Kingdom.

Subsection I.III, Romanian Gains

The region known as Bessarabia shall be annexed by the Kingdom of Romania.

Subsection I.IV Sweden Gains

The Åland Islands, the town of Kemi, the northern bank of the Kemijoki River to its headwaters, the town of Petsamo, and the map being used to connecting Petsamo to the headwaters of the Kemijoki River(As close to the OTL pre-1939 Soviet-Finnish Border as possible connecting to the Kemijoki.)

Article II, Newly formed Nations in Europe

Subsection I.I Kingdom of Poland

The Kingdom of Poland shall be formed with the following borders and territories. The Congress of Poland going west of the new German-Polish border till it reaches the border formed in the aftermath of the Second Partition of Poland of 1793. Its northern border shall be the southern bank of the Neris River. Islands in the Neris along the new German-Polish Border shall be viewed as Polish land.

A new cadet branch of the House of Witten shall form to rule over the Kingdom of Poland. The first king of this new Kingdom of Poland shall be Prince Johann Georg of Saxony to be crowned at a latter date.

The Kingdom of Poland shall have free trade rights at the German ports of Memel, Königsberg, and Danzig in perpetuum. The Kingdom of Poland shall pay to the Empire of Germany 25% of the yearly upkeep cost of these ports for these free trade rights.

Subsection II.II Grand Duchy of the Baltic

The Grand Duchy of the Baltic shall be made up of the whole the Governorate of Livonia and the Governorate of Estonia. There shall be some adjustments of the Vitebsk Governorate and these lands shall be under the control of this newly formed Grand Duchy. (OTL Latvian Borders with Russia and Belarus.)

Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford of the House of Russell shall be crowned as Grand Duke of this Grand Duchy at a latter date.

The newly formed Grand Duchy shall have its independence guaranteed by the British Empire, the German Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Kingdom of Sweden.

Subsection II.III Kingdom of Finland

The Kingdom of Finland shall be formed as shown in the map below. (Minus what the Swedish took in Article One, but with Repola and Porajärvi on top of Finnish Pre-Winter War borders minus Post-Winter War borders on the Karelian Isthmus. The Town of the Sortavala marks where these two borders merge into one new border.)

The House of Spencer with Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough shall be crowned as King of Finland at a later date.

The newly formed Kingdom shall be treaty neutral with its independence guaranteed by the British Empire, the German Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Kingdom of Sweden.

Article III, Belgium

A new cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha shall be formed to rule the Kingdom of Belgium. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn shall be crowned king at a later date.

Former king, Leopold of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha shall be exiled to the Pitcairn Islands.

The British Empire, German Empire, Italian Kingdom, and French Republic all guaranteed the independence of the Kingdom of Belgium

Article IV, Territorial Changes in Africa and the Caucasus

Subsection IV.I Ottoman Empire Gains

The Kars and Batum Oblasts shall be annexed by the Ottoman Empire.

Subsection IV.II British Gains

The French Protectorate of Morocco is handed over to the British with it now becoming a British Protectorate.

The colonies known as French Upper Senegal and Niger, French Dahomey, French Ivory Coast, and French Chad become colonies of the British Empire.

Further the northern bank of the Casamance River shall become the southern border of British Gambia. (OTL eastern border of the Sédhiou Region is where this border change ends.)

Subsection IV.III German Gains

The colonies known as French Ubangi-Shari, French Congo, and French Gabon become colonies of the German Empire.

Subsection IV.IV Portuguese Gains

The southern bank of the Casamance River shall become the new northern of Portuguese Guinea. (OTL eastern border of the Sédhiou Region is where this border change ends.)

Subsection IV.V Italian Gains

French Protectorate of Tunisia becomes an Italian Colony.

French Somaliland becomes a colony of the Italian Kingdom.

Article V, Territorial Changes in India, China, the Pacific Ocean, and the Americas.

Subsection V.I British Gains

French India and French Yunnan becomes part of the British Raj.

French Zhanjiang and Chusan become British colonies.

The British take full control of New Hebrides.

Subsection V.II Portuguese Gains

The colonies of Comoros and Mayotte become colonies of the Portuguese Kingdom.

Subsection V.III German Gains

Weizhou Island along with the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands shall be German colonies.

Subsection V.IV Japan Gains

The Elliot Islands, Sakhalin, along with the majority of Inner Manchuria(Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilungkiang) shall become part of the Japanese Empire as colonies within the empire.

Subsection V.V Australia Gains

New Caledonia becomes part of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Subsection V.VI New Zealand Gains

The island group known as French Polynesia become part of New Zealand.

Subsection V.VII Siam Gains

All lands the French force the Siamese to give up between 1893 and 1904 shall be returned to Siamese rule.

Subsection V.VIII Brazil Gains

The colony known as French Guiana is annexed by the United States of Brazil.

Subsection V.IX Canada Gains

St Pierre and Miquelon becomes part of the Dominion of Canada.

Article VI, Population Transfers

Subsection VI.I Baltic and Volga Germans

The Russian Government shall allow all Baltic and Volga Germans free and unmolested travel to the German Empire, Kingdom of Finland, or the Grand Duchy of the Baltic.

The Russian Government shall pay fair market value for all land being abandoned to all Baltic and Volga Germans. Payment must be made in hard currency or gemstones.

All Baltic and Volga Germans who are being held in prison camps shall be released and transfer to the German Empire. The Russian government will pay to each person who falls into this category 2,500 pounds sterling in hard currency or gemstones.

This shall be in place for a period of 24 months

Subsection VI.II, French and Russian Citizens

For French citizens now living in territory under the control of either the German Empire or Italian Kingdom they have 24 months to decide if they wish to retain their French citizenship and migrate to France or stay.

For Russian citizens now living in territory under the control of the German Empire, Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Finland, or the Grand Duchy of the Baltic they have 24 months to decide if they wish to retain their Russian citizenship and migrate to Russia or stay.

If either a French or Russian citizen elects, they wish migrate to the nation of their citizenship, its on that nation to give them the financial support needed to finish such migration. Land that they have for sale may be sold to the highest bidder even if is not at market rates. If not at market rates, its on either the French or Russian nation to cover the difference.

Article VII, Economics

All government buildings, arsenals, dockyards, factories, and railways in territories cover herein from Article I to Article V shall be turned over to ownership of the nation who is taking control of said territory.

France shall pay to the British Empire an indemnity of 100 million pounds sterling with an interest rate of 3%.

France shall pay to the German Empire an indemnity of 75 million pounds sterling with an interest rate of 3%.

France shall pay to the Italian Kingdom and Kingdom of Belgium an indemnity of 25 million pounds sterling each with an interest rate of 3%.

France shall pay to the German Empire patent infringement damages valued at 2.5 million pounds sterling. Further France shall pay to the German Empire international agreed on patent royalties for all German patents in use by the French Government and French Business.

France shall forgive all Ottoman Empire debt currently held by the French government and all private citizens of France. The French representative on the Ottoman Public Debt Administration shall be removed from its seat.

Russia shall pay to the German and British Empires an indemnity of 100 million pounds sterling each with an interest rate of 3%.

Russia shall pay to the Japanese Empire an indemnity of 25 million pounds sterling with an interest rate of 3%.

Russia shall pay to the Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire an indemnity of 5 million pounds sterling each with an interest rate of 3%.

Russian owned interest in the Sublime State of Persia are hereby turned over to the British.

All indemnity payments will start in 1908 and run for a period of 10 years.

Russia and France grant most favored nation status to all signers of this treaty.

Article VIII, Military Restrictions

France and Russia are banned from having chemical weapons.

The French Navy may retain the battleships Brennus, Charles Martel, Carnot, Jauréguiberry, and Masséna. All other French battleships are divided between the Royal Navy and Regia Marina. (Note the Russian Battleline is such that its decided not to reduce it like the French one which mostly got through the war intact.)

All French and Russian submarines are divided between the Royal Navy, Regia Marina, and Kaiserliche Marine.

The Ottoman Problem Pt III

Near Hechingen
Burg Hohenzollern
November 15 1906

The past few months had been fairly busy since returning from London. Even through we now had peace and Germany had expanded its borders, didn’t mean my work was done. While I didn’t get anywhere close to everything, I wanted out the peace deal meant I had a lot of work ahead of me. Even with the grumblings of some about how Germany had been shafted by the British, I kept pushing ahead with my work. I needed to get the economy going like it had been pre-war as we demobilized.

With that in mind I had pushed for the Plattenbau Bill the hardest of the three major bills that were in front of the Reichstag at the moment. The other two being a territorial organization bill which was to reorganize all the territory Germany just gained and the other was a veteran health care system on a global nature. I was planning to take care of my veterans from the Schutztruppe as well. For the SPD and their allies, the Plattenbau Bill was a major victory for them.

Even through they had updated the bill which had been shelfed at the start of the war, they had to update it. This took into account two things. The first was advances in technology. The second was how this was going to be paid for. Now it was partly funded via the indemnities Germany won from both France and Russia in this war instead of purely through tax increases of various types. Granted there were still some tax increases but those were more carry over taxes that were raised during the war to help fund it. The rest of the indemnities would be going to paying off the debt that the war caused.

As for the Plattenbau Bill itself, it would create a number of mix use districts in the growing cities of Germany. At the center of each new district would be an eight-story building that housed the low cost rent apartments that were at the heart of the act. While small they came with a number of amenities. The basic floor plan was simple each apartment would either be a single- or two-bedroom design affair. They also through came with a kitchen, bathroom, and a living room/dinning room combo. Basically, I thought of these as flats, well at least for the single bedroom versions. These apartments would also have running water, electrical power, and central heating as standard in every unit that was to be leased. This would be a massive improvement for many as this wasn’t even standard in a number of hotels in the nation yet.

On a more personal note, I had also just finishing meeting with architect. That meeting had been for designing a royal resistance in Posen itself. While the creation of the Kingdom of Poland had created a mixed reaction in Posen I wanted to remind the people of Posen I still ruled for their benefit as well. I figure by building a royal resistance there would help to that end.

Then I saw the man I been waiting to see all day. This was Generaloberst Freiherr von der Goltz, who had been the commander of the Military Assistance Command, Caucasus during the war. He had led a unit of MAC-C in a parade in Stuttgart two days ago as part of the ongoing victory parades that I had help set up.

He bowed before me. “Raise Generaloberst, and walk with me.” I said as I picked up my cane. My joints were reminding me I wasn’t as young as I once was. Goltz however didn’t say anything as he followed me. With our history I honestly wonder what he was thinking as we walked out of the castle. There was a light crisp autumn breeze blowing as we made our way into the woods.

“Swear to me on the graves of your forefathers that you will not speak a word of this conversation to another human so long as you live, Herr General.” I said out of no where as far as Goltz was thinking.

“I swear on the graves of my forefathers your majesty that I will not speak another word this conversation to another human so long as I live.” Goltz finally replied.

“Do you know why I blew up on you in 1897 Herr General.”

“No sir I do not.” Goltz said as he was studying me wondering where I was taking this.

I decided not to answer my own question. “Have you played the game known as Kubikschach?” I asked. Not that I wasn’t any good at real 3D Chess even through I enjoyed the few games I had played so far. Then again, I had played mostly against chest masters. So maybe if I played normal people, I might to better. On the other hand getting normal people playing 3D chess was a challenging task.

“I have heard of this game but not play it sir.” Goltz said still not sure what the hell was going on.

“You have played chess before? Correct?”

“Yes sir.” You could hear the confusion in his voice.

“When you were trying to published your book, you were trying to play chess whereas I was playing Kubikschach.”

“Sir?”

“You were too far ahead in your planning without enough pieces to cover the board Herr General. If I would had done what you wanted, we would had lost. Badly most likely as well. Its also why I asked you here today, because I have a job for you.”

Three hours later I had him my office handing him his orders along with a signed copy of a non-disclosure agreement that Goltz had signed. I needed to shore up the Ottomans even more, and Goltz’s was the perfect tool for that. With his orders he had more or less carte blanche to do what needed to be done there. We just had to wait for the right moment to strike now.

The Nest is Emptying 1906

Mitau, Imperial Territory
Schloss Mitau
December 30 1906

After spending Christmas with the family Dona, myself, and our third oldest son, Adalbert headed north. Currently all the territories annexed by Germany save for Luxembourg were being governed as imperial territories of the empire. Luxembourg had entered Germany as a grand duchy outright as part of the agreement I had stuck with Adolphe and his son. This rule as imperial territories was only going to last long enough to reorganize them and fold them into the empire. I was hoping to get this done before the house of cards known as Austria-Hungary fell apart next year.

It was why Adalbert had travelled north with us. The area we were looking at for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was simply majority Roman Catholic. Because of that I wanted a Roman Catholic grand duke to rule this area. Courland through was majority protestant. Through Adalbert was young both Dona and I believed he would do well in this job. Others did as well. So we were brought Adalbert up here to meet the locals and see what he thought of the idea.

Dona, myself, and Adalbert were all enjoying breakfast. It was honestly a simply affair. Yesterday we had met with the various ethnic Germans who were the ruling class here in the morning. In the afternoon we had met with more the common man on the street. As I was picking up my last bite of my potato pancake, I spoke to Adalbert, “Have you thought about what we had talked about last night?”

Adalbert paused from crewing the apple he had been eating before finishing it. “I was surprised you asked to be honest.”

Dona took over, “Adalbert, we understand that you would be surprise, but your father and I wouldn’t had asked if we didn’t believe you would well here.” Then she picked up the last piece of her bacon to finish it off.

I took back over after finishing off the potato pancake, I had been eating. “I know we are asking a lot of you son. Further this would derail your dreams for a naval career, but you will still be serving your nation as you help guide the Grand Duchy of Courland to being a prosperous part of the empire.”

Adalbert finished the last of his apple before responding. “Why would you want me to learn Latvian?”

There he did have a point. The ruling class here were ethnically German and spoke it. They however were in the minority, “Because to be an effective ruler, one must have the support of his people. The majority of your subjects should you accept, this offer would be speaking Latvian. Its one of many reasons why Posen is accepting of me even with the formation of the Kingdom of Poland.”

Even through many in Posen were happy to see a Polish nation again, they understood I had done much for them. Also add in the fact I spoke Polish fluently helped. Plus Warsaw was still much more worried about the Russians even through they were fighting a civil war right now. That had been cleared to me when we had signed a treaty of alliance between our nations late last month. Well that and the trade treaty as well. Both were fair treaties and were being taken well both in Poland and Posen.

Dona finished the last of her apple before speaking, “Adalbert, there will also be no rush for you to find a wife if that is what you are worried about.” Junior was to be married to a Swedish princess in April. Lizi and Eitel had just welcomed their first child into the world not to long ago. Their daughter had both me and Dona wrapped around her little finger. Adalbert through hadn’t found a woman to be serious about. Thankfully he wasn’t the player that junior was. If we were honest both of us were hoping that Adalbert would find some minor local noble to fall in love with to help strengthen the ties of Courland to Germany itself.

Adalbert finished off his milk, “I would like a bit more time to think about this father before I agree to it.”

Finishing off my own milk before speaking, “That’s understandable son. Just understand time is a limited resource so please use it wisely.”

1906 Year in Review

Domestic

The Plattenbau Act of 1906

This act created government funded mix-use districts in major cities around the empire. The heart of these new mix-districts are the 8-story Plattenbau. They are to serve as low cost housing to the growing labor class within Germany. While the rent will be low, those who live in the Plattenabu will be expected to honor all the normal agreements of a renter even though they are renting from the government. The plan scope of this is simply massive as these new districts are expected to tie into already mass transit systems on top of everything else they offer.

Its expect to take 1926 before everything is finished given the numbers approved under this act.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Alliance with Poland

This treaty was quickly signed between the newly formed Kingdom of Poland and the German Empire. Under the terms of this treaty it’s a mutual defense treaty that works in both directions. It also sets up an exchange program to allow Polish officers to attend various training programs within Germany. It also in secret sets up a system where the First Polish Army, and other Polish Armies once formed will be integrated into the overall chain of command of the given front and allows for Polish officers to serve in the deputy position of these fronts. It also covers intelligence sharing agreement between various intelligence agencies of both nations. Another section covered the ad hoc Vistula River Squadron formed by the KM during the war. This is turned over to operational control of the Royal Polish Army while the KM helps trained up people to man these boats and ships.

However, the largest part of the treaty deals with a standardization agreement on ordnance. This is so Germany can easily resupply Polish forces with ordnance, and the other way around. It however doesn’t deny the Polish the ability to design their own domestically designed arms.

German-Polish Trade and Friendship Treaty

This treaty sets up trade relations between Berlin and Warsaw. While it does not set up a customs union between the two nations it does set up a committee in both nations to look at the possibly of forming between both nations. Further this treaty Germany pledges to help Poland to modernize its national infrastructure. Then there is the section to help Poland get its economy moving while getting its nation set up.

Beyond the trade agreement this treaty sets up a lot of things between the two nations. This ranges from student exchange programs to extradition of prisoners.

Foreign Regions

United States

Stable

Britain

Slightly Decreasing

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Improving

Austria-Hungary

To stay the relationship is in the gutter would be insulting to the gutter.

Russia

Depends on which faction of the civil war you talk about. It ranges from friendly to outright hostile.

Japan

Stable and good

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Z-37 Class Destroyers

600 ton, 2 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 32 kts

12 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

As both of them grow older they are taking the needed steps to make sure they live a long and rewarding life. Wilhelm’s knee is still an ongoing issue as it never did heal right. Still both are in good health for their age.

Other

Nicholas Romanov, formally Nicholas the Second ended up buying a small estate in Zürich, Switzerland after the signing of Treaty of Westminster. He and his daughters are living there. Through an unofficial agreement between Nicholas and Wilhelm that was broker by Dona, Nicholas will have a few German bodyguards for protection and the safety of his daughters.

The Ottoman Problem Pt IV

Trabzon, Ottoman Empire
Headquarters
February 8 1907

Generaloberst Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz was looking at his map table. While officially the Ottoman Empire wasn’t allied with the German Empire or at war anymore, things within the Empire were in flux. There were competing ideas on how to lead the empire forward. The army and what had become known as the Goltz’s generation in the officer corp were some of the loudest at the moment. The sultan for his part was trying to play off the competing interest to maintain his hold on power. Even through there was many differences at play the big one was which major power would the Ottomans attach itself to, Germany or Britain.

Goltz had been empowered by Kaiser Wilhelm to make sure that the Ottomans would choose the right empire to be their backer. That time hadn’t come and Goltz knew it. It most likely wouldn’t come for a few more years. Yet he was still in the Ottoman Empire working to improve the Ottoman Army. His old command Military Assistance Command, Caucasus had been reformed Military Assistance Command, Anatolia. MAC-A had a lot of the same duties as his old wartime command of improving the Ottoman Army, but it had a few other jobs that the old MAC-C didn’t.

The first was helping steer officers of the Goltz’s generation into positions of power within the Ottoman Empire. This was so the Ottomans would choose the right empire to side with when the time came. Goltz himself couldn’t stand why anyone in the Ottoman Empire would want to choose the British over the Germans. German investments were all over this old empire where the British simply trying to suck money out of the old empire. The Kirkuk Oil Field was bringing massive amounts of money to the empire and that oil field had been found by Germans. Then there was the infrastructure itself which had played a key role in helping the Ottomans win the war with the Russians. Goltz also knew another major oil field had just been found near British Kuwait. The Rumaila Oil Field through needed to be built up, but he was hoping to use that field to drive another wedge between those who supported the British and the power they were seeking.

As to the other major job he was working on within MAC-A was top secret and the Ottomans didn’t know about it. This was to affect the outcome of the ongoing Russian Civil War. The British were supporting the royalist faction being led by Tsar Michael, following the assassination of Tsar George a few months ago. This base of support was in the European heartland of Russia. This was greatly helping them as it was home to most of Russia’s remaining coal fields as well as the bulk of its industry. Granted some of this was in the hands of the socialist, but they were being crushed by the Tsarist forces with socialist leaders being hung when found.

There however were nationalist uprising in the Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia, and Siberia. Even through he didn’t agree with Kaiser Wilhelm about the limits Goltz was to only help the uprisings in the Caucasus. For some reason the Kaiser seem hell bent on denying the Russians the city of Baku more than anything. This was on top of his goal of peeling off a number of client states in the Caucasus region. He however was limited in what he could do. He couldn’t put boots on the ground to help these people. He could only give them advice and training on how to fight along with supplying them with captured Russian weaponry.

Baku no matter what the Kaiser wanted, they couldn’t deny it to the Russians unless he changed his orders and allowed boots on the ground. The Russian Caspian Sea Flotilla had stayed loyal to the Tsar and it was holding on to Baku while it was waiting for reinforcements as the Russians seemed to be keen on putting down the revolt in the Ukraine along with destroying the pockets of socialist in European Russia first. Goltz was seriously thinking of giving up on this part of the plan and focusing everything on Georgia.

In Georgia things were going far better than Azerbaijan, which Azerbaijan was better off than Armenia. Goltz doubted anything could be done to save Armenia at this point. The Ottoman efforts against the Armenians during the war all but gutted their chances here. Many of the best and brightest Armenians were setting up homesteads in the Kongo and other German African colonies right now. Granted some were travelling to the Americas but most were staying in German Africa. What remained in Armenia simply wasn’t what he needed to build a buyable revolt that could hold out.

Tbilisi had fallen to Georgian rebels in the past few days. They also had control of a number of key paths in the Caucasus mountains itself that would make any efforts at retaking Georgia challenging for Tsarist forces. They just needed to secure their eastern flank and they with his resupply efforts its likely they could hold out. Goltz knew they were getting ready to declare their independence from the Russian Empire. Once this happened, he knew that some steps would need to be taken to make sure Georgia stayed independent of Russia.

The main question Goltz had was how would Pyotr Stolypin react. Stolypin was being leaned on by both Tsar Michael and Prime Minister Sergei Witte. That however would be a bridge to cross for when the Georgians declared their independence. If the Kaiser followed through on his promise to guarantee independence of the Georgians it might just allow them to become an ally of the German empire.

Map of Europe at the End of WWI

Hi all,

Here is a map of the current situation post war. You can find a better quality map over on deviantart here: https://www.deviantart.com/samuel-von-strasburg/art/The-Treaty-of-Westminster-Europe-1906-880564588

Ah Shit, Here We Go Again

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
March 11 1907

I was currently reading a report on the French legislative elections that had just wrapped up. The French Section of the Workers' International and Revolutionary Socialists parties had formed an alliance and they ended up winning a hair over 300 seats which was enough to allow them to form a government in Paris. This had me wondering with the upcoming Presidential election would the French go communism by the ballet box or not. Then again, the French Army might become a factor as I knew damn well they were deeply conservative and having a communist led government wouldn’t set well with them.

One thing however was clear from this election, all the old parties had been swept away as they had smelled of defeat. This was because the party in second place with seats was Action Française being led by Charles Maurras had when from not even having seats in Chamber of Deputies to having just under 200 seats. That alone was an impressive feat. I remember the name Charles Maurras but I had a hard time placing it on why I remember it. Every other party had less than 20 seats, so it was clearly a battle between Action Française and the alliance between the two socialist parties for the heart of France.

After reading the report on the French elections, I wrote down a request of my foreign ministry to do work ups on Maurras and Édouard Vaillant who was in line to become the next prime minister of France. I was wondering if France would be withdrawing from the international stage or not based on what I seen in this reporting or not. The socialists seem to have a pacifist lean to them from what their campaign had been based around. As for Action Française they were going with something akin to the Nazi’s stab in back myth blaming natives in Algeria, Madagascar, and Indochina for the defeat instead of blaming Jews like the Nazis did. Granted all three areas were in revolt against rule from Paris right now, but Indochina rebelled after the peace treaty had been signed. But there was something more in AF’s pitch than just that. I could only call it as a self-strengthen movement that the Chinese tried prior to their defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 but with a French flare.

Just as I was finishing writing my request for the foreign office, my aide came in, “Sir the Georgian representative is here to see you.”

“Yes, send him in please.”

Georgia had formally declared independence from Russia a few weeks ago. Now it was seeking foreign support to keep it from being rolled by Tsarist forces once said Tsarist forces got their shit together. Ilia Chavchavadze was currently ruling in Tbilisi. The government from the reports I seeing was very ad hoc in nature but it seemed the common theme there was everyone in Georgia was sick of rule from Petrograd and they wanted to rule themselves.

The British weren’t too happy with the Georgians declaring their independence and was leaning on people not to given them diplomatic recognition. Then again, we knew they were backing Tsarist forces with cash and weapons. The fact the Russians had kept the Lieb Guard close to Petrograd during the war was helping them now. Through untouched by the war the Lieb Guard were some of the best that the Russians had to offer. The Okhrana also seem to be having a NKVD movement as they were going on an assassination and execution spree from what my intelligence reports were saying.

It might had been my own people that had offed Lenin, but the Okhrana had bagged a few other notable supporters of Lenin. The biggest fish I seen Okhrana hang that had been confirmed Trotsky. He had been hung in Moscow on Red Square in a massive summary execution of various socialist that had been caught by the Okhrana after Moscow had fallen to Tsarist forces. I knew because my people had gotten me a photograph out of Moscow and I knew that was Trotsky just from the picture.

Once the Georgian representative and de facto ambassador enter by office we started to speak with a member of the foreign ministry taking notes. Here I was basically stating to the Georgians while yes I would give them diplomatic recognition. However, I expected a treaty of alliance in line with what I had with the Poles, but modified to reflect they were in the Caucasus. The Georgian seem to be accepting this then my aide came in without knocking. “Sir Archduke Franz Ferdinand had just been assassinated.”

By mind when back to when I was playing GTA San Andreas with CJ at the start of the game when he goes ‘Ah shit, here we go again.’ I turned to the Georgian representative, “I’m sorry but I’m going to have to cut this short.”

I could tell he wasn’t happy about this but understood why. He said his goodbyes before leaving. Once he was out of earshot I spoke to the foreign ministry representative that was here. “Inform the Hungarians that Margarethe is a go.” As I said that I felt sick to my stomach as I fucking hated the Hungarians. But I needed to work with them to get a mostly peaceful breakup of Austria-Hungary. That ship might had sailed through. I hoped I wouldn’t regret this.

Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt I

London
Foreign Office
March 15 1907

Foreign Minister Sir Edward Grey was trying to keep track of a host of foreign matters. What had started off as trickle of events when Georgia had declared her independence from Russia in late February had turned into an outright raging river during a storm over the past week. In Grey’s mind all of these events could be lay directly at the feet of Kaiser Wilhelm the Second.

Grey’s rise to being the Foreign Minister of the Asquith Ministry was a reflecting a change within the British upper class that Berlin was a direct threat to the empire. Prior to the war Grey didn’t have a path to this post he now held. Grey was a known Francophile and believed that the rising economic power of Germany was a direct threat to the British. This ran counter to the majority of the British upper class who viewed Russia as direct threat to the crown jewel of the empire, the British Raj. This had led to what Grey saw as the biggest mistake in the history of the British Empire, the Anglo-German Alliance.

Many believed through that the Rhineland and East Prussia would had been laid waste to in the war. Grey was hoping for that so the British could many its unchallenged position in the world. To the shock of many and his own horror the Germans didn’t let the French into the Rhineland. East Prussia while it saw some damage from the failed Russian attempts at invading it, it was far from being destroyed. Then with no help the Germans when about crushing what had long been the most technically advanced army in all of Europe, the French and forced them out of the war with almost no help from the British. Then they turned everything against Russia who didn’t stand a chance against the German steamroller.

It was after CB had stepped aside because of health issues and Asquith had become the Prime Minister that Grey was rewarded for his foresight with his current position. He had been the one who had masterminded the backing of the coup against Nicholas. He had pulled a number of pieces of silver out of that deal with the Russians. Even through the Russians were fighting a civil war right now it was still worth it. He was also the mastermind behind the support of the Tsarist forces in that civil war. He had also pulled out even more concessions out of the Russians for that support. The Great Game was ending in a British victory. He was also the one who had led the British in the treaty negotiations that ended the war.

Then the first piece of bad news hit. Georgia through was small potatoes. They were leaning on other nations not to give the Georgians their diplomatic recognition they wanted so badly. He knew that the Germans would do it, but it was only the Germans it might give the Russians enough cover to retake Georgia by force and all Germany could do would be to protest.

What happened in France through had been unexpected to everyone. No one in the Foreign Office had been expecting the socialist to win an outright majority in the Chamber of Deputies. With there now being a possibly that socialist could when the French presidency, the chances of the British being able to enact a policy of containment were already on shaky grounds. Efforts were already underway in Rome to secure them. Efforts in other capitals were also underway to break nations away from Germany as well.

Then the bombshell hit. Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated. The assassin had gotten away after he threw a bomb that had killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife. A few other people had died but they didn’t matter. That assassin had wrecked British plans to turn Austria-Hungary into an ally to force the Germans into a three front war next time war came. They would let the Austro-Hungarians, French, and Russians do the heavy lifting on continent while the British swept in and took the increasable valuable German colonies. Franz Ferdinand had been the path to achieve this for the British as they had been working with him to rise to power in Vienna.

Not even two days later the Hungarians in Budapest declared the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was being dissolved and they were declaring themselves independent of Vienna. If Franz Joseph was still healthy, he would most likely be mobilizing the army to crush the Hungarians. Yet he was in worsening health and some questioned how much longer he would alive. There was also a question if Franz Joseph died who would be next in line to replace him. Given the laws of Austria-Hungary right now it should had been Charles. Yet there was a loud and growing push to bring home Elisabeth and merge Cisleithania with Germany.

That outcome would be disaster for the British Empire. Not only would a third front against Germany all but go up in smoke, it would hand Germany a number of heavily industrialist lands that would only increase German abilities to rage war. If they got into the Adriatic, it would be an outright critical threat as the Germans could threaten the Mediterranean which was the critical trade route of the empire. A threat to that was unacceptable.

Grey and his staff was working on ways to make sure Charles came into power in Vienna and not Elisabeth. This way they could still have a way to make sure they had a southern front in their containment of the German Empire from growing even more. Then an aide rushed into the room, “Sir we just gotten telegraphs from both from Vienna and Berlin. The one from Vienna informs us that Elisabeth had just been named regent for Franz Joseph. She has the support of the military and other key figures there.” Other backers included the bulk of the foreign office and a number of politicians. While it was not everyone in either case, but with the support of the military it didn’t matter.

At that Grey felt ice flow threw his veins. “What does the telegraph from Berlin say?”

“That Kaiser Wilhelm welcomes Elisabeth as the Austrian Regent and looks forward to finding a peaceful end to the unrest of the Austrian Empire.”

Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt II

Vienna
Schönbrunn Palace
March 17 1907

Lizi felt odd walking through Schönbrunn Palace as it had been such a long time since she had been here. The last time she had walked these hallways it had been a nothing but a child, a time she barely remembered as it had been that long since she had been in Vienna. Now through she was walking through these halls as Princess-Regent of the Austrian Empire and was three months along with her second child. She wasn’t showing yet, but her husband who was a meter behind her at the moment knew. As did her father-in-law and all but in ways of blood father know as well.

When Wilhelm spoke to her and Eitel about a week ago about this and they had both been surprised by it. With Eitel career in the army having been cut short they had been setting things up for Lizi to practice law while performing the duties of high ranking royals of the German Empire. They hadn’t started Lizi’s law practice yet as they had delayed because she was having another child. Now through it was likely that law practice would never be started as their father had another job in mind for both of them.

Wilhelm had made it clear time is of essence and they needed to move quickly. Wilhelm was already speaking with the Italian, Polish, Romanian, and Ottoman ambassadors in Berlin. The Hungarians didn’t have their own man in Berlin at the moment so they were using the most senior man who was Hungarian from the now defunct Austro-Hungarian Embassy in Berlin. Wilhelm through had already given both the Hungarians and the Georgians diplomatic recognition as independent nations. In Georgia he had moved a battalion of German infantry into the nation as what he called a trip wire force to keep the Russians out.

Lizi entered the room and everyone in it stood and bowed before her. Unknown to Lizi almost everyone in this room had been in contact with German intelligence services for at least a year prior her entering the room. The choice to not honor their alliance with the German Empire caused many to lose faith that the Austro-Hungarian Empire could stand on its own anymore. With the German Army doing what everyone prior to the war thought had been impossible it made them thing having Cisleithania with the German Empire as the only way to move forward. They would let the Hungarians rot on their own.

Indeed, many in Vienna thought the same. Instead of the black and yellow flag of the old Austrian Empire, many here in Vienna were flying the black, white, and red of the German Empire. Many parts of Cisleithania were currently flying the flag of the German Empire since it had been announced that Lizi would be regent for Franz Joseph. Other parts through, not so much.

“Gentlemen, time is against us. We need to move with all due haste.” Lizi open this meeting up.

Karl was the first to speak, “Your Highness, what would you have us do?” Karl hadn’t been trained on how to rule the nation and understood what a viper’s nest he would had been walking into if he had tried to become regent. He simply didn’t want the job instead he threw his support in this effort to unite Cisleithania, or at least the bulk of it with the German Empire.

At that point Lizi outlined what Wilhelm’s plan was. He wasn’t planning on bringing all of Cisleithania into Germany. Simply put he needed to give up some of it so the British couldn’t cause problems about this. Yet it was why he was moving with speed to lock the British out of this. The areas Wilhelm was giving up didn’t have the strongest support for a union with Germany. Indeed, the Italian majority areas of the empire had Italian flags flying at the moment.

Wilhelm’s plan was designed to move at speed. It was not perfect by any means. Yet he had taken the idea perfect is the enemy of good enough and ran with it. This was mainly on the idea the longer this took the more time it gave the British to worm their way into this which what he did not want to happen.

General der Infanterie Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf who was the current chief of staff of the Austrian Army spoke first, “Ma’am that gives a lot of land to the Italians. Further, it allows the Hungarians to keep Burgenland.” Some here had assumed that Wilhelm would be willing to trade Dalmatia to the Hungarians to get Burgenland from them. They however accepted the idea of Galicia going to the new Polish Kingdom as the Poles were challenging to rule.

“Herr General that is true, but from the intelligence report I received in Berlin the British are already making a play to court Rome as an ally. If we deny the Italians these lands it could drive them right into British arms. Make no mistake of this one simple fact. The British fear our united strength. They will do anything to weaken us. ANYTHING.”

Lizi put a lot of meaning in the way she said anything just to drive the point form. Wilhelm in the work ups he had with Lizi explained that while he believed that the Italians would leave the alliance with Germany in time, but by not giving them these lands would drive the Italians into the arms of the British even faster and possibly open the door for the British getting their hands in this. He had further explained that he believed that so much he was already having his generals work on possible war plans against the Italians. That told Lizi everything she needed to know about the subject and had accepted Wilhelm’s lead on this.

She spoke again, “So gentlemen are we in agreement?”

There were nods all around. Then Karl spoke, “Yes ma’am we are in agreement.”

“Very well send for Ambassador von Tschirschky.” Lizi replied as they were hoping to have a treaty done within the day.

Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt III

London
Foreign Office
March 25 1907

Foreign Minister Sir Edward Grey just sat there in shock. In a fortnight the Austro-Hungarian Empire when from being an untrusted empire but an economic and industrial powerhouse to the dust bin of history. The Treaty of Vienna had been signed late last night by the Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Poles, Italians, Romanians, and Ottomans. Granted there were things like the Austro-Hungarian Fleet that still had to be divided as the Hungarians wanted to be a great power and the Italians wanted that fleet for themselves. But Wilhelm had deiced to let them fight over that fleet while getting on diving the lands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Grey believed Wilhelm had a plan in place to break up the Austro-Hungarian Empire with Germany directly annexing the bulk of Cisleithania. As there was no way to have a peaceful break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire happen this quickly. He also had to be actively working to this end. As in all his time he never seen something move that quickly on the international stage. The fact they had largely been all but shut out of this was the shocking part about it.

Prime Minister H.H. Asquith had been in the room when the news of the Treaty of Vienna had come in. For a while both just sat there in stunned silence. It was Asquith who broke the silence, “It’s all over but the crying.” He said in a somber voice. He had heard the phase once before from Wilhelm during the peace summit that ended the last war. Only when Wilhelm had said it, it had been when the Russian team was brought in for the first meeting. Wilhelm noted that the Russian team looked like they were really to break down and cry. As such it was why he said it, but he had been more gleeful when he had said it.

“The guiding light of the Empire for the last 500 years had finally been out foxed.” Grey added to it. “I knew Wilhelm was craftly, but I didn’t think he had this in him.”

After that there was another pause in the conversation before Grey started again. “We need to redouble our efforts at getting the Italians to come to our camp. We also need the Hungarians as well. Both will need to see major investments to help build themselves up.”

“Agreed.” Asquith simply added. “I’m just thankful the Germans didn’t get a toe hold in the Adriatic.”

“We dodged the bullet there.” Grey replied.

Treaty of Vienna

I, Germany Gains

Tyrol minus Trentino, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Austrian Silesia, and Carniola minus the Austrian Littoral shall be annexed by Germany.

II, Italy Gains

Dalmatia, the Austrian Littoral, Trentino shall be annexed by Italy.

III, Poland Gains

Galicia shall be annexed by Poland.

IV, Romania Gains

Bukovina shall be annexed by Romania.

V, Ottoman Gains

Novi Pazar is returned to Ottoman rule.

VI, Bosnia

Bosnia shall be administered by the Kingdom of Hungary under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin, 1878 save for Novi Pazar which is returned to control of the Ottoman Empire.

VII, Diplomatic Recognition

All of the undersign grant diplomatic recognition to both the Kingdoms of Hungary and Georgia.

VIII, Other

The joint debt of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire shall be divided between the German Empire, Kingdom of Hungary, and Kingdom of Italy at a 50%, 40%, and 10% ratio.

Officers, NCOs, and enlisted men of the Common Army, Imperial-Royal Landwehr, Royal Hungarian Honvéd, and Kaiserliche und Königliche shall be given 180 days to decide which nation they wish to serve in.

The final division of the Kaiserliche und Königliche Fleet shall be decided on at a latter date between the Kingdoms of Hungary and Italy.

Post-Vienna Treaty Map

Here is an updated map of Europe as of the treaty of Vienna:

Better quality version here.

Blue Cornflowers in Bloom, Looking Back Pt IV

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Student Cadeteria (Redacted)
April 14 2020

Louis was currently in the campus cafeteria as he was enjoying some breakfast before starting his day. This was wonderful mix of pumpernickel and black forest ham with fresh fruit and a cup of chilled milk. The best part of it didn’t cost a single pfenning. Unlike his older siblings who when to American universities he didn’t have to pay for the cost of food as part of his studies. Plus from what his older brothers and sisters had told him, he was eating far better here than they ever had at an American University.

As he was working his way through his breakfast, Louis was already working his way through some of the required reading of the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm. The program had a total of a dozen books that the students had to read no matter what courses they took. That was on top of the required reading of each course itself. Currently he was working his way through Kaiser Wilhelm II’s autobiography. It was one of two books that he had written that were published after his death. Both books were on the required reading list. For Louis he decided to take on the thick autobiography before taking on his even larger book Mein Wunsch.

Currently Louis was reading the section on what became known to history as the Blue Cornflower Revolution. The Blue Cornflower Revolution was one of those events of the 1900s that made people go later in history did Wilhelm have a plan or was he just a damn good opportunist with some kind of idea where technology would go. This revolution also gave many counterfactual authors a source of many points of divergences to write tails from. Louis however knew the two most common PODs were deeply interlinked. Those being the Germans getting some coastline on the Adriatic and the British getting into the middle of it. There however have only ever been on counterfactual series that Louis read that got both right as no way one could happen without the other.

In his own autobiography, Wilhelm stated he remembered how the British had treated him during the London Peace Conference not just the year before. There the British had cut short of many of his own goals which was one of the two events that would see the downfall of the Anglo-German Alliance. When the Blue Cornflower Revolution started with the assassinated of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Wilhelm stated he didn’t plan for the Treaty of Vienna to happen. However, as events happened and he saw what was about to happen he decided he needed to keep the British out of this his affair at all cost.

Many historians questioned that through. However, with his personal papers mostly having been destroyed by Dona after his death, that forced historians to work with only a limiting amount of primary source materials with Wilhelm’s own autobiography being the only one that spoke of some events in details. Even if it was written decades after the fact. The Blue Cornflower Revolution was one of them. Well at least from a German point of view anyways. Some of the national records of other nations were lost in the hell that was the Second Weltkrieg. Others might still have those records but they hadn’t been found yet or they had been misplaced into a file no one would looked for them. Louis wasn’t sure he believed in that conspiracy theory but it did make some sense given what some work within the German national archives in Berlin and Frankfurt and what had been found there in the past few decades.

Still, little was out on the Blue Cornflower Revolution at the moment outside some things like Wilhelm’s account of the events. In his autobiography Wilhelm stated that the only way to get things done quickly as to divide things by already drawn border, generally at a regional level. He stated while yes he would had liked to gain Istria, but all he saw was a headache trying to find an acceptable accord with the Italians. So instead of subdivide the Austrian Littoral he just gave it over to them in whole. It was the same with the Hungarians. He simply decided not to fight with them on their borders even through it left a sizable number of Germans in the new Kingdom of Hungarian borders. Then that wasn’t counting the Croats, Romanians, Jews, and other minorities.

He would admit that at the end of this passage, that the Blue Cornflower Revolution was really the first step to the next great war. If he knew…

Colonial Build Up Pt VIII

Rotstadt, German South-West Africa
Officer Quarters
June 5 1907

Hauptmann Martin Padovaner was returning home for the first since the war had started. Just over three years since he had been here on this base. His new regimental command had accepted his orders. He would be staying here at Rotstadt, but he would become a training officer of new recruits instead of returning to command an artillery battery like he had hoped to. He knew that was likely to be a busy command given they were likely to enlarge the current regiment here into a full-on division. The only difference to his uniform from when he left and now was the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the German Empire Ribbon that now was beside the Great War Ribbon.

What he had done for the whole of the war he couldn’t talk to anyone about. Yet the German government was making up to him in a different way. If he was to retire today, he would have the pension plan of that of a Major not a Hauptmann. That would hold true no matter what rank he retired at unless by some fluke he became a Generalfeldmarschall. In that off chance, he would be ennobled to the next highest noble rank, with everything that came with that rank.

For Martin through that was the farthest thing from his mind. What was on his mind was his wife of three years and how she would react to him. Also, he would be meeting his daughter who was a little over two years old for the first time. He honestly couldn’t wait to meet little Gisela for the first time, but he knew he was a bundle of nerves right now. Then again who wouldn’t be after being gone for three years and missing the birth of their first child?

Walking down the street that housed the married officers he saw the house he had been assigned to. He felt chills his backs. Once he turned into the yard he saw the front door open with Anna standing there holding back a toddler. Martin knew that must had been their daughter Gisela. She was a far lighter skin than her mother but far darker than Martin’s own. Anna than let go of Gisela and spoke to her, “Run to daddy.”

At that Martin got down to one knee and dropped his travel bag. Once there he opened up his arms to greet little Gisela who was walking to him. Once she got to him Martin closed his arms around his daughter and brought her into a very tight hug as tears started to leak from his eyes. He picked up his daughter and held on to her as Anna came in to join the hug. Anna had tears in her own eyes as well. Her husband had been away far too long.

Once a few moments had past and another officer who was walking to his own house looked the other way to give his fellow officer the privacy he earned the family walked into the house for the first time together.

The Viennese Waltz Pt V

Vienna, German Empire
Schloss Schönbrunn
July 15 1907

I was here in Vienna with Dona at my side. This was part of our first royal tour of the newly enlarged German Empire. Together with what we had gained in the Great War and the Blue Cornflower Revolution as these events were becoming known, the German Empire had grown by leaps and bounds. I wanted to visit many of these areas do my part to welcome these areas into the empire and make sure they felt welcome here in the German Empire.

Right now, through Germany needed time to digested these two meals before even thinking about adding more to the empire. Personally, if there wasn’t a Second World War, would make me beyond happy. While having coastline on the Adriatic would be nice it wasn’t worth a second war that would entail to get it. Not knowing what I knew would becoming. I personally wanted peace at this point. Then again there was a saying I said in OUST at Fort Benning on repeat by my drill sergeants; Si vis pacem, para bellum. I didn’t have a full understanding of that Latin saying till I became Wilhelm and became a full believer in that saying.

Currently Germany was at its weakest point it had been in since I taken over as Kaiser. While the gains made by my empire were impressive, they were not secure at the current moment. I knew I needed one thing beyond all else at the moment; time. I needed that time to consolidate these gains and merge them into one force to defend them from all challengers. It was one of many reasons I didn’t push for the Adriatic Coastline as I could had gotten by grabbing Istria in the breakup from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It’s also why I gave up my scheme to take the Shandong Peninsula, I didn’t want to spread myself to thin.

In Berlin right now they were already working on the third and fourth major bill of the year. These being a new set of naval laws and new laws for the army. This was after passing a veteran health care system with the funds for it that would help veterans in both here in the heart of the German Empire along with the colonial troopers in the colonies. The other was also part of the reason behind this royal tour at the moment.

Franz Joseph finally kicked the bucket shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Vienna. I had to laugh at that one, the old man died as a German. Not that he would know it through. By the end he was more or less didn’t know what was going on. Honestly it was mercy that he died as it was getting that bad with him. Still, he got a state funeral, even if it wasn’t the state funeral he had been expecting.

The reorganization act which organized the various lands that Germany had added to the empire via the war or the Blue Cornflower Revolution. And with Franz Joseph’s death meant that the newly formed Kingdom of Austria needed a monarch to lead it. The Kingdom of Austria within the German Empire was made up of a number of former territories within Cisleithania. Both Archduchies of Austria made up part of this new kingdom. Common along for the ride as well was the Duchy of Salzburg, the Princely County of Tyrol, and the Princely County of Vorarlberg. There had been some thought of adding the Duchy of Carinthia and Duchy of Styria to the newly formed Kingdom of Austria but it had been decided to leave them as independent grand duchies within the empire.

Still the Kingdom of Austria needed a monarch to lead its state affairs. From my talks with Karl prior to all of this it was clear he wanted the newly formed Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia and I was fine with giving him that. All he asked as for my help in learning how to rule which I agreed to give him. That still left the question of who would rule the Kingdom of Austria.

The choice was fairly clear. Lizi would be Königin of the Kingdom of Austria. The people here already loved her after almost a decade of rule by committee. She was the one who gave them hope again, so it had been fitting when she had been named as Königin. Her house through would become a cadet branch of my own. This being the house of Hohenzollern-Habsburg. Indeed, she was one of my children becoming monarchs in their own right within my empire at the current moment. Granted her husband Eitel was also my children show he would be her consort in her journey. He however wasn’t the only one to be given one the royal title of one of the new member states of my empire.

Lizi’s coronation wouldn’t be till next year, but today was still an important day. It was the opening of the newly elected House of Deputies within the Kingdom of Austria. Various Austrian political parties were still feeling out their German counterparts for alliances and mergers but that would take time. Which was the one thing we needed at the moment beyond all else. Also happening today was the swearing in of those politicians going to Frankfurt to take seats in the Reichstag. I was here overseeing both.

This was all part of my week here in Vienna before I moved on further south in my empire. This would be the challenging part of my journey to make sure the southern Grand Duchies felt welcomed here.

Recruitment Pt II

Tuskegee, Alabama
The Oats
August 27 1907

Booker T. Washington was currently reading The Tuskegee News morning edition as he waited for the W.E.B Du Bois to join him for this meeting. The paper was speaking about a growing recession within the United States. The end of the Great War had ended a booming period of economic times within the US as the Europeans weren’t buying everything they could get their hands on. This abrupt change in buying habits of Europeans had cost many northern factory workers their jobs as demand dropped off. This was also causing ripple effects here in the South as people were demanding the agriculture goods that were the main bread and butter of the South was dropping. It was also the reason behind this meeting. He needed to get Du Bois to stop.

Du Bois had become known to many in high places of power as Kaiser Bill’s pet negro. Washington had heard it enough times to know it. Many in the business community who supported Washington’s goal of empowering the color people of the United States. There however was a major caveat to this. They would be able to reap the benefits of a colored middle class. They supported Washington and the Tuskegee Institute and other color universities with their money for this. Instead, many of those who had received an education here at Tuskegee or one of another color universities on getting their degree had ran off to either Germany itself or one of their colonies for work there. Thereby denying the wealthy the ability to profit off the middle class that Washington was trying to create here in the United States of America.

Since Du Bois had started acting as an agent of Kaiser Wilhelm, Washington had seen a brain drain of best and brightest of the color population leave the United States for the promise of a better life in the German colonies in Africa. Some had even travelled to Germany for further education and a better life there. By his count three of these color people of America were currently working on their doctorate degree in Germany. Further none of them planned on returning to the US once they were finished from what he had learned. One was even studying at the famous Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Berlin.

What stun Washington the most through was when Du Bois had managed to get George Washington Carver his former head of the Agriculture Department up till earlier this year to leave his job here for work in Germany. That had come about when Carver had been issued an offer by the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society that had been forward to Carver by Du Bois. Under that offer Carver could perform pure research and not have to teach classes or perform other duties that he did while here at Tuskegee; and Carver jumped at the offer.

Just as he was finishing the section on the growing recession Washington’s house keeper informed him that Du Bois had arrived. Putting the newspaper down after informing his housekeeper to show Du Bois in, Washington got his mind ready for this meeting which could decide the fate of color people in the United States of America.

Both men looked at each other as Du Bois entered the room. At one point they had been allies and even friends. They however saw a break in their alliance in the aftermath of the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. Their friendship however lived on for a few more years before Du Bois agreed to become Kaiser Bill’s pet negro. Now both understood the importance of this meeting.

Finally Washington broke the silence, “When to you plan on to start acting like an American again?”

Du Bois just shook his head at that question. “Why should I? In Germany I’m treated with respect and don’t worry about having to be lynched.” Du Bois was speaking of the Atlanta and Greensboro Massacres that happened last summer within a month of each other.

While lynching was still common within the Southern United States, mass lynching like both of those massacres through were a rare thing. Still both Atlanta and Greensboro had sent shock waves through the color communities of the south. It was causing whole families to flee to either north or to German Africa for a chance of a better life. At the moment it was a trickle but Washington knew if he didn’t stop it would become a flood and ruin his plans.

Du Bois debated dropping his bomb on Washington right here and now. He knew the Germans were about to set up a consulate office up in Birmingham to offer visas to people of color to migrate to German Africa. Even through the German economy wasn’t as white hot as it had been prior to the war and Blue Cornflower Revolution it was still a growing economy. Further there was still a lack of enough skilled workers for the colonies. Given how colored Americans were helping fix that issue along helping to form a middle class in the colonies in Africa, Wilhelm wanted to supercharge that. His colonies were already making a lot of money for Germany and he wanted to get his newly gained colonies up and running as well. He decided against it.

“If you keep it up more people will be lynched as they will be branded as not being loyal to the United States.” Washington countered.

“They will always find reasons to lynch us. It could be because we just looked at a white woman funny to a color folk leaving the United States for a better life in Germany or their colonies.” De Bois retorted. It was at that moment both knew this was going to be a knock out drag out fight.

A Naval Arms Race? Pt I

London
Old Admiralty
October 4 1907

Sounds of the construction work on the on going Admiralty Arch could be heard within the halls of the Old Admiralty. Granted it wasn’t like they could hear every hammer blow or running of the saws, but it was just a collection of white nose for the most part. Still the sounds were there and many were ready for the Admiralty Arch to be finish so they could work in mostly peace again.

Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord of the Admiralty John “Jacky” Fisher was currently reading the report from the newly formed Secret Service Bureau. The SSB had been founding during the war after seeing the quality of German intelligence and were shocked to be behind the Germans in the field. Prior to the formation of the SSB, the British had used unofficial channels for intelligence but the Germans from what they had seen had taken intelligence to a whole other level and they couldn’t be left behind. It was what saw the creation of the SSB last year.

This report was on the new Naval Law passed by the Germans last month and some of the ships that the Germans were ordering under this law. During the war, Fisher had brought about two new ships types that obsoleted all former battleships and armored cruisers. These being the dreadnought battleship and the dreadnought armored cruiser. Two of the Dreadnought class were already in service, along with a pair of the Invincible Class Dreadnought Armored Cruisers. More were building through as since the war ended His Majesty’s Treasury had reduced the naval construction budget to pre-war levels which was meant others of both classes were still being worked on at the moment. Still those ships were allowing the next generation of ships of both types to be improvements over what they already had. Plus the Royal Navy was the only nation with such ships at the moment.

It seemed through that the Germans understood that the Royal Navy had obsoleted its fleet and was moving to rebuild itself again. Publicly the German Naval Law was calling for 18 new Dreadnought type battleships spread out over some time. Said battleships would serve for 20 years before replacement. It also called for eight battlecruisers as they were calling the Dreadnought Armored Cruiser. Four of these were to be for the home fleet and four for overseas duty stations as flagships. Unlike the battleships these are to only serve for 18 years before replacement.

This new law really didn’t touch that much on light cruisers through. It did increase the number of destroyers within the German Navy through. Now they were calling for 84 total destroyers while maintaining their already set limit of replacement of every 15 years. The bigger surprise through was this naval act was calling for a force of 48 submarines. They will also see a replacement every 15 years. Further all subs order prior to the 1907 Law would count as experimental designs and wouldn’t be counted against the 48 called for by this law.

Further still the law was a major reorganization of the German Navy. Some of it had to do with the influx of naval personal from the former Austro-Hungarian Navy. It also formed what they were calling the Marineflieger. This was to be five squadrons in total. Four of them would be Zeppelins which the Germans had used to great effect in the last war. The final squadron was an experimental squadron to test heavier than air flying machines and their use in naval warfare. There were other things that the SSB had left out of its report because to them it didn’t look important.

Jacky had to admit that this law was well thought out and very modern. It was also forward looking from what he saw. As he was writing his own thoughts on a notepad next to him he was thinking he would had to push Parliament for even more reforms within the navy itself. He through would admit while an impressive force 18 Dreadnoughts and 8 Dreadnought Armored Cruisers were not a threat to the Royal Navy. Not given how the Germans were planning to spread them out. Though given how people in high places were worrying about the Germans now he knew he could sell it as a threat to get the reforms he was thinking about doing done.

As for the ships, the SSB had intelligence on their first generation of Dreadnoughts. It would displace a few thousand tons more than the Dreadnought Class while maintaining top speed of the Dreadnought Class. That was impressive in Jacky’s mind. He did wonder what they using the extra displacement for or if it was just inefficient designs of the Germans. It also was maintaining the same ten gun form of the Dreadnought Class. Only instead of 45 caliber 12 inch guns the Germans were using high velocity 50 caliber 12 inch guns. It however was carrying a heavier battery of secondaries guns but those were all in casemates than the Dreadnought Class did.

It was a good design, but they were only building two of them. Unknown to Fisher and the SSB the Germans weren’t not follow the Dreadnought layout with their turrets. The Dreadnought Class and the scale back St. Vincent Class which carried ten guns but could only bring an 8-gun broadside even through they were carrying ten guns. The German ships through would have a 10-gun broadside as they could use all their guns for a broadside as they were all on the centerline. The fore and aft gun turrets were stealing a page from the USN and would have superfiring positions. Further there would be an amidships turret to give the new class a ten gun broadside. This was a secret that the Germans had hidden very well and the SSB hadn’t been able to find out about this so far.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXI

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
November 19 1907

As Plato said at one point in time, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” I might not have been the biggest fan of Plato, but I did agree with that statement. Not even a year after the end of the first Great War I was already prepping for the next one. After events in France I was honestly wondering if I was going to be in the unfavorable position of a three front war.

In the French Presidential Elections last month, the second ballet came down to the Socialist Party and Action Française. The Socialist won that round by about four points. It effectively would give the French Socialist Party the ability to run France as they saw fit. Only the French Army wasn’t having any of it. They had launched a coup against the Republic within the past week before the Socialist Party of France could take full on power. And frankly I didn’t know how this was going on at the moment there.

The Third Republic of France had been built on the ashes of defeat of the Franco-Prussian War. It was already about getting revenge for that defeat had driven the Third Republic. Now though they had been crushed even worse than they had been in 1870 and 1871. Over 700,000 or so dead from the reports I seen. It might have been higher with the kind of losses my army caused the French. Further the German Army now had a large number of French battle flags as trophies. Not so many artillery pieces, those I had other uses for and many had found uses where I just couldn’t give away my own artillery.

With that defeat in the Great War the French Republic was bound to break. I knew it, the British knew it. Hell, everyone knew it. The voters in France it seemed had rejected the old parties in favor of something new. A slight majority broke for the Socialist Party of France over Action Française through. The Socialist in France played to the left with Action Française playing to the right. Even through they were both calling for different things they made it clear France was turning inwards instead of looking out at the wider world. I still didn’t know how this would play into their remaining colonial holdings through. Yet I hadn’t really mucked around there for a number of reasons. Then again it might be too late to try now.

The fact the French Army had the balls to launch a coup had me worried. I would assume the French after getting smacked down that hard again and twice in 30 years or so would be enough to make them have not try for another round with me. That said through with the French Army from the look of things calling the shots in Paris now, it was umm oh shit they are that crazy. Then again, my embassy in Paris didn’t know what was going on in Paris at the moment. I doubted anyone including the French fully knew what the hell was happening in Paris at the moment.

As for the Russians the Tsarist forces were getting the upper hand. The revolt in Ukraine had been crushed. Hard from the news coming out of Kiev. My people were good at their job but there were only so many we could save from the loving arms of the Russians. Some we didn’t want to save others we did, yet the Russians were going to town on anyone who had been linked to the failed revolt in the Ukraine and we couldn’t get everyone out in time. Some had even refused to come with us wanting to stand their ground and they were doing what I knew as a rope dance for their troubles. My goal of an independent Ukraine for the foreseeable future was dead because of it.

With the Ukraine under their control and the bulk of European Russia as well the Russians were moving against the remaining pockets of European Russia not under their control as well as the Caucasus. They were also prepping to move into Siberia at the start of the spring of next year. I was slightly worried about Georgia. It was why I now had a full regiment of infantry there after I had signed an alliance treaty with the young Caucasus nation a few weeks ago and hoping the Tsarist forces weren’t that stupid. I needed more time to cement my gains at the moment before another war. As for my other attempts to form breakaway states in the Caucasus? I had decided to cut my losses in the region and refocused on building up Georgia to stand with me in the next war. Indeed, that was my focus at the moment as I worked by the evening light.

Currently I was keeping an eye on events of the Grand Duchy of the Baltic. Grand Duke Herbrand was pissing off everyone off in Reval. The man from the reports I had seen didn’t know how to read a room to save his life. Things there were getting bad, and the British just happened to have a few cruisers in dock at Reval at the moment. That might have been the only thing stopping Herbrand getting his ass thrown out of the Grand Duchy of the Baltic at the moment as relations between Herbrand, and the ruling class along with the general public was that bad.

That however wasn’t my only headache. The other lied within Budapest. Currently I was trying to form a small-scale variant of NATO with my new alliance plans as I knew the alliance map would reset after everyone got a grip on what has happened in Europe. Poland had already agreed to this. Under our alliance treaty we both use the same types of ammo and have the same symbology on maps so our forces could be better able to support each other logistically. The Georgians really didn’t have much room to complain so they took it as well.

To get this idea to work through I would need both the Ottomans and Hungarians to agree to it. In the case of the Ottomans, I was letting things play out there as sooner or later things would break my way there. The Hungarians through were flat out refusing to even listen to my idea of united logistic systems. They also were demanding equal rights on other things they had no rights to demand. Honestly sometimes I was wondering if they were really that fucking stupid or did, they take lessons. They acted like they had been a great power for centuries and Germany was an equal. This was even with almost all their trade being with me and having to reorganize their army and domestic politics at once and build a navy. It was almost laughable if the stakes weren’t as high as they were.

All these talks with the Hungarians were reconfirming my total dislike of the Hungarians. The best way I could put them was they were the French of the Danbue but without any of the history or culture of that made the French what they were. They were sinfully prideful and stubborn as a mule. If it wasn’t for the French, I would had made an offer to the Romanians already. They seemed to be more open to an alliance with me than the Hungarians who wanted from what I was seeing at the front of the table instead of allowing the German Empire have that seat.

Yet those weren’t driving my thoughts this evening. I heard the door opened and saw Dona enter the room. She was still just breathtaking beautiful as the first time I saw her, even with some silver in her silver in her blond hair now. Honestly it just made her a mature beauty in my eyes. I still didn’t know how I got that lucky with her. By the way she was moving I knew what was on her mind. I was always up for that.

She however saw the drawing pad, ruler, pencil, and other things I had out when I was working on a design. Once she had reached my desk she hoped up and looked down at it. “Another gun? Really?” She asked shocked that I would be doing another one.

“Yes dear.” I reply simply. In my past life I had own a pre-import ban Norinko MAC-90. With it being pre-import ban meant it didn’t have that stupid stock that allowed it to get around the ban. But what it was really was a Chinese variant of the AKM. Even through I wanted an AR platform rifle I couldn’t afford one and I got the MAC-90 after my father’s death. I had enjoyed it on the range, yet I also knew what it could bring to the table if I could get one of my gunsmiths to make the damn thing work. The only different was I was planning to field in this something akin to 5.56 NATO instead of 7.62 x 39 as I was a true believer in 5.56 NATO.

“Haven’t you done enough?”

“I done too much but its never enough.” I said as I picked up my drawings to throw them in my safe. Those drawings were the farthest thing from my mind at the moment. Once I had my safe closed, I turned back to Dona who had the spark in her eye I knew so damn well.

Money Makes the World Go Round Pt IV

Springfield, Ohio
Shuttered Forging Plant
December 30 1907

Unknown to all but a very select and a trusted few, Kaiser Wilhelm, Kaiser of the German Empire, had made a vast foreign by playing various stock markets in the United States. While not every stock deal he had made had panned out for him, he still made a large amount of money in the business of buying, trading, and shorting stocks on American markets. While not in the same league as John D Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, or anywhere close to that level, he still held vast sums of money that for decades he just kept investing into further buys and deals to increase his wealth in the United States.

Near the end of the Great War, the Kaiser’s net worth with various bank accounts used to hold money and the stocks themselves were valued near 60 million US Dollars. The bank accounts themselves were in the most trusted name in the world of finance and banking, J.P. Morgan. While Morgan and Kaiser Wilhelm had only met a small handful of times the Kaiser trusted him to handle his money in the United States. Yet against the advice of J.P. Morgan who didn’t have the information that Kaiser had, Wilhelm had turned his stocks into cash. This ended up giving him just north of 65 million dollars total which was earning interest in Morgan’s bank since he cleared out his stock holdings.

Then the Panic of 1907 started. The US was already in the start of a recession as European contacts dried up as the Great War ended in 1906, but the Panic of 1907 was the same thing as throwing petrol on to a fire. A group of investors at Cassatt & Company, attempted to perform a short squeeze, only to have massively misread the market and backfire on them. Their short squeeze started a domino effect within the banking world as margin calls were made only no one had money to make the calls. The only thing that had kept everything from coming down like a house of cards was J.P. Morgan but the damage had been done. The economy while not in the free fall it had been was still not improving.

With an increasing number of business filing for bankruptcy protection, the number of liquidation sells were also increasing to match. This forging plant had been caught in a major expansion when the recession started. The owners of the company had would had been fine till the price of their stock collapsed when the margin calls of their stock started. Unable to pay the loan payments and the company losing money hand over fist as no contacts were coming in, they filed for bankruptcy to keep them from losing the shirts on their backs as the banks were demanding payment of their loans.

After some back and fore the liquidation sell of the company was taking place on this cold day in December. A crowd moved through the closed down factory with an auctioneer selling off the various pieces of equipment within the factory. The crowd was a mixed of people. Some where people who had ideas of starting up their own company. Others were looking to buy equipment on the cheap to expand their own business. There was one who stood out. He spoke with accented English, an accent that sounded German to them. He didn’t make the small talk with the others here to buy equipment but it was clear he had deep pockets. Someone with deep pockets and unknown reasons for being there meant no one knew what his end game was. A fact that had cost some of them dearly to over pay for equipment. What made it worse for most of the people here he seemed to be having fun doing it.

Unknown to every man there this man with the German accent was an agent of Kaiser Wilhelm. He was currently working the Old Northwest of the United States buying up industrial equipment on the cheap in liquidation sells like this one. Currently he was one of five such agents. There was one in New England, another in the Mid-Atlantic States, then the Upper South, and finally one on the US Pacific Coast. They were all buying up industrial equipment they could at reasonable prices on the order of the Kaiser. The money being used was from Kaiser Wilhelm’s playing the US stock market.

For Kaiser Wilhelm this was two different but within the same breath the same plan. The first was to weaken the United States by buying up its industrial assets on the cheap. The second was his plan to partly industrialize Mittelafrika. They were both different parts of his plan but if he could pull it off the reward would be worth the effort. As for this liquidation sell the agent of Kaiser Wilhelm had been able to secure the bulk of the plant for just under 150,000 dollars US. If he had paid new the equipment would have cost four to five times as much.

1907 Year in Review

Domestic

Veteran Care Act of 1907

This bill was the pet project of Kaiser Wilhelm II. This act puts funding for a number of hospitals and medical annexes to care for the veterans of the recent war, and past wars. For those who had suffered wounds in any war fought fore Germany the veterans shall not be billed anything. The same holds true for veterans who suffered disabling injuries in peace time training events. For veterans who weren’t injured in a disabling way or wounded they shall still receive service here, but they shall have to pay a low fair for services or if they wish they can pay a yearly premium and pay no cost at point of service.

Further this act will help fund training of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to meet the staffing demand. In return for this help with paying for school these doctors, nurses, and other medical staff shall work at these veteran hospitals for five years once they finish their schooling. Finally this bill covers both veterans in Europe along with the colonies.

The Reorganization Act of 1907

Between the gains made from the Treaty of Westminster and Treaty of Vienna, the German Empire needed to quickly figure out how to government these new territories. The saw two new kingdoms and a number of grand duchies added to the empire. Further there was a reorganization of the colonies. Further Wilhelm II’s title is changed under this law from Deutscher Kaiser to Kaiser des Deutschen Reich.

Newly Added Kingdoms

The Kingdom of Austria was formed from the former Archduchies of Austria, Duchy of Salzburg, the Princely County of Tyrol, and the Princely County of Vorarlberg with Elisabeth Marie of Austria becoming the Königin of the Kingdom. She was forming a new cadet branch house as the House of Hohenzollern-Habsburg.

The Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia was being formed out Kingdom of Bohemia, Margraviate of Moravia, and Austrian Silesia. The König of this new Kingdom was to Karl of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Newly Added Grand Duchies

The Grand Duchy of Carniola we to be ruled by Prince Franz of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach.

The Grand Duchy of Styria was to be ruled by Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

The Grand Duchy of Carinthia was to be ruled by Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was to be ruled by Generalfeldmarshall Walter von Loë who is elevated to the noble rank Großherzog and the House of Loë being created.

The Grand Duchy of Courland was to be ruled by Prince Adalbert of Prussia of the House of Hohenzollern.

All these men shall be Großherzog from this day forward.

Territorial Changes to already member states

The former Arrondissements of Arlon and Bastogne shall be merged into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. As shall the town of Longwy.

All other former French Lands shall now be merged into the Grand Duchy of Elsaß-Lothringen.

For the colonies its was more reorganization how the government in the various colonies worked. However Weizhou Island, the Paracel Islands, and Spratly Islands were attached to German Hainan.

Naval Law of 1907

This law replaces the Naval Law of 1890. Seeing how Dreadnought Battleships and Dreadnought Armored Cruisers have obsoleted the German Fleet, its decided to build a new fleet. This law calls for 18 Dreadnought battleships, which are to be replaced every 20 years. Battlecruisers as the Germans call the Dreadnought Armored Cruisers, is to be a force of 8 with four for the Home Fleet with the other four being flagships for colonial outpost with these having a replacement cycle of 18 years. The Destroyer strength is raised to 84 total with a 15 year replacement cycle. It also calls for a force of 48 submarines with the same 15 year replacement cycle of the destroyers.

While this law increased the size of the German Fleet, it also put efforts into building up ports, new tech, and folding sailors, chiefs, and officers of the former Austro-Hungarian Navy into the Kaiserliche Marine.

Changes Within Government Personal

Following the Retirement of Großadmiral Friedrich von Hollmann from his position as Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff is named as his replacement.

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Alliance with the Georgian Kingdom

This is a full-on defensive alliance with the newly created Georgian Kingdom. Largely based off the German alliance treaty with Poland but modified to reflect Georgia’s geo-political position in the world.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

Dropping like a rock

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Improving

Russia

Depends on which faction of the civil war you talk about. It ranges from friendly to outright hostile.

Japan

Stable

Hungary

Not so good

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Lothrigen Class of Battleships

21,700 tons standard load, 10 x 30.5 cm L/50s in Twins/Superfiring/Centerline, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 21 kts, well armored

Lothrigen
Hannover

Magdeburg Class of Light Cruisers

3,800 tons standard load, 12 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 27 knots

6 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

As both of them grow older they are taking the needed steps to make sure they live a long and rewarding life. Wilhelm’s knee is still an ongoing issue as it never did heal right. Still both are in good health for their age.

Domestic Issues Pt II

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
February 3 1908

“Your majesty.” Karl said as he bowed before me.

“Its good to see you again Karl.” I replied as I stood up from my desk to greet the King of Bohemia-Moravia. At the moment I was working with various new monarchs within the empire to help fold them into Germany.

Karl was a bit different through. Karl had never was close to Franz Joseph, and the best way to put his relationship with Franz Ferdinand was poor. Then again, I don’t think anyone liked Franz Ferdinand outside his wife, maybe his kids I wasn’t sure through. I had even made an honest attempt to befriend Franz Ferdinand, but I just couldn’t stomach it. For Karl that meant he was 20 years old with zero training on how to rule, or even lead. I think it was one of the reasons he threw his lot into the pro-annexation faction as he knew he wasn’t ready to rule. He however still wanted a position of power through but one where he could come into it and not be overwhelm. So, I made him the King of Bohemia as Lizi was taking Austria.

So as part of our agreement I would work with bring him up to snuff on both leadership and ruling. He would spend a few days in Berlin each month with me spending a few days in Prague each month as well. While I didn’t have training on how to rule when I took on my current job I had been trained how to lead, even if it was on a far smaller scale than this. Karl through didn’t have the first idea how to lead. While I believe there were a few people who just knew how to lead by instinct, they were a small minority. Most needed the training and Karl needed the training.

Once I got up, we started to walk and talk about what was going on that was affecting his kingdom within the empire and the issues within the kingdom itself. The most pressing issue on both fronts was getting something akin to the Posen Compact into law. Both Karl and I had started taking lessons in Czech. For myself Czech was the fifth language I was learning how to speak after German, English, Spanish, and Polish. For Karl through it would be his third after German and Hungarian. Still, it wasn’t easy, still it needed to be done. Learning Polish had made me want to give up learning more languages as it had been a pig to learn, but still I could do it. It was one of the reasons the Polish-Prussians of Posen loved me.

At the moment through I was hoping to have a new law in place that would make Czech the same as Polish was in the Empire by the start of the summer. Outside of Bohemia, Czech would be something that would be offer as an elected language at gymnasiums across the empire. In Bohemia through German would have to be the language taken at their gymnasiums. It would also be a language that the natives in the colonies could learn to get on the path to being a colonial citizen. Through from the status coming in from the colonial ministry only around 1 to 2% of people applying for colonial citizenship were doing so having learned Polish.

Work on what was known as the Bohemian Compact wasn’t the only thing we were talking about. There were still the ongoing growing pains from the merging of the bulk of Cisleithania into the German Empire. There was already growing small talk about another round of infrastructure being approved and what that would mean for the new parts of the empire. Personally, I always loved putting money into infrastructure as it was a win-win for everyone.

One thing I had going with the Bohemian Kingdom through was it was already highly developed and industrialized with a highly educated population. Given that it was merging into the German Economy that was a good thing. There however were parts of the former Cisleithania that weren’t that well off. So I was doing my best to help develop them. The best way to keep everyone happy was to make sure they had a roof over their head and food in their stomach.

That however meant I would have to work on reforming the agriculture sector again. Germany prior to the Treaty of Vienna was still a nation that needed to import food to feed its population. Right now, the math was still being done to see where Germany would be with all this new land, but I wanted to get Germany where it was exporting food as well, a sizable amount. However, Bohemia wasn’t going to be a major factor there as they were more heavy industrial goods than agriculture.

As we cross various topics, Karl brought up a question about his wife. This came up after somehow, we got to talking about junior who was getting married this summer. Currently Karl was unmarried, but I got a sense from the way the conversation when he wanted to get marry so he could better rule. I caution again that. I however put forward the idea of meeting with Czech nobility to see if they had any women who caught his fancy. If they did, he should court them for a while before marrying them to make sure they would work together well. My own marriage with Dona had proven a good woman was the key to a great man.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXII

London
Foreign Office
March 15 1908

Edward Grey was reading the news that had been transmitted by HMS Sapphire. She was one of three cruisers currently at Reval. They were iced in there as the Baltic was currently frozen over as far south Haapsalu. Even further south there were still floating ice burgs as it was a hard winter in the Baltic this year. It however wasn’t the weather report that was worrying the British Foreign Secretary. No it was more of the reports that Sapphire had spent back dealing with the political unrest in the Grand Duchy of the Baltic.

Even through historically the British didn’t put their nobles on the thrones of newly created nations, in effort to curve the power of Germany they did so. This was because there was a worry that had the British allowed the Germans to put one of their people in power in either Reval and Helsinki it would give them too much power on the continent. Well before the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire anyways.

In Helsinki, Charles Spencer-Churchill was doing a good job of ruling the new Kingdom of Finland. While there had been some bumps along the way, Charles was ruling well and building up a relationship with the people of the nation. While Finland wasn’t part of the informal empire yet, it was building close ties with London. The same could not be said for Herbrand Russell in his role of being Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of the Baltic. His relationship with the ruling class within the Grand Duchy had been nothing short of open warfare for the last few weeks. The people there did not support him and Russell had made no out reach to do get their support to pressure the ruling class to accept what he was trying to do.

Looking back at it, Russell might had been the wrong person to pick in effort to curve German influence in the region. Then again there were very few people to choose from, it was one of the reasons Russell got the job. Plus, he was willing to serve and help the government when called on. He however didn’t have the tact or political skills it seems to do the job and it might had just cost him the job. Well not unless the British could get major reinforcements to Revel to put Russell back on the throne.

That was the report from HMS Sapphire. A group of soldiers from the army of the Grand Duchy of the Baltic brought Russell being dragged there and in hand cuffs to the Sapphire and told the captain of the Sapphire that Russell had been removed from the throne. And that they didn’t want him in their nation anymore. This had followed Russell dismissing the current government when they refused to push forward with a trade treaty that would help tie the new Grand Duchy to London. This was after a series of battles over foreign and domestic policy within the Grand Duchy between the Grand Duke and the government. Now the question was what to do about it. What Grey really needed was more information. At that he picked up his phone to make a phone call.

Kaiser, King, and the Grand Duke?

Reval, Grand Duchy of the Baltic
Schloss Katharinental
April 21 1908

Before boarding the train that brought me here, I had met with British Ambassador Sir Frank Lascelles. I knew Lascelles would be returning to London with his tail between his legs. There however was precious little he could do to stop me as I was not breaking the Treaty of Westminster by doing this. We however did we an agreement that he believed would favor the British, even through I had already come to decide not throw good money after bad even if he didn’t know it.

Under the terms of this agreement, I gave the British my word I wouldn’t work with other breakaway factions within the Russian Civil War besides Georgia. My attempts with the Ukrainians hadn’t worked anywhere as well as I hoped. The Armenians and Azerbaijanians were just too unorganized to be helped. I know the Armenians were still hurting from what the Ottoman Turks did to them, I did my best through to keep the worse excesses from happening. That effort had lead to about 100,000 Armenians to accept homestead offers in my African colonies as of the latest figures I had seen. About a further 300 to 400,000 Armenians had decided to try their luck in the New World with most going to the Untied States. I didn’t know how many more the Turks had killed, but at least I knew I made a difference.

As for the Azerbaijanians, I honestly didn’t know what when wrong there. Yes the Russian Caspian Sea Flotilla staying loyal to the Tsarist government and holding Baku was something that should had only knocked them back but they should still had a chance. They however never stood a chance from the reports I seen. Too much infighting there was generally the case given. While some of the Central Asian rebel groups looked promising, I didn’t have the projection power in that region and I knew it. So, I had decided to focus on making sure Georgia kept its independence.

That was the key to the deal. The British agreed to give Georgia diplomatic recognition. While it might be a long while before the Russians did it, the fact the British gave the Georgians diplomatic recognition along with my own treaty of alliance with Georgia meant the Russians wouldn’t be crazy enough to try an attack it. That would give me time to turn Georgia into a workable nation that should be able to with Ottoman help defend itself when the time came. We also agreed to the final borders. Georgia would be what I knew of it minus the areas the Ottomans got in the war. That included the breakaway areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It however would also include parts of what I knew as Armenia. While it didn’t reach Lake Sevan, it did add a fair bit of land. It included Mount Aragats as the southern anchor point to the city of Vanadzor then to an area that would be a key rail hub once a railroad got that far. (OTL Ayrum).

At the moment through the Caucasus was the last thing on my mind. I was in the Grand Duchy of the Baltic to make things that had been in the works for the last few months. While my official coronation wouldn’t be for another year, today was still an important day. It was the day I was taking the oath as the Grand Duke of the nation along with signing the treaties that would do a number of things. It would formalize the fact that the German Empire and Grand Duchy of Baltic would be in personal union with myself as monarch of both nations. There would also be a treaty of alliance between both nations I ruled.

There were some calls for direct annexation of the Grand Duchy both within it and in Germany itself. However, I wasn’t going for that, yet at least. Germany had just had two fairly large meals and it needed more time to digest those meals. Work was still on going to get the Czech language the same status of Polish had under the Posen Compact. While it would most likely get done this year it would still take time. Plus there were still a thousand other headaches I was still dealing with for eating the bulk of the Austrian part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. I simply needed time to get everything humming along before adding on the Grand Duchy of the Baltic to the German Empire.

A personal union through was a good way to tie both nations together. It would also grease the wheels so to speak as it would allow an easy path for annexation in time. The only thing of all this I wasn’t looking forward to was learning another language. Czech was already giving me fits and now I was debating between Latvian or Estonian to learn. It however was something I needed to do so I would just suck it up and do it.

Slow Burn Pt VIII

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
June 4 1908

I was currently reading my Kaiser’s Daily Brief. This was akin to what I knew as the Presidential Daily Brief in the world I came from. This report was given to a total of six people in whole. Those six being myself, Chancellor Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner, Foreign Minister Wilhelm von Schoen, Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff, Generalfeldmarschall Karl von Einem, and newly named Secretary of War Generaloberst August von Mackensen. There were also a select few who received parts of the KDB when it effected their jobs, mostly ministers and sometimes political party leaders when it was critical.

The section I was reading at the current moment was what was going on in France at the moment. So far by some miracle a civil war hadn’t broken out in that nation. I didn’t know which deity I needed to thank for that as the last thing I wanted was an unstable nation on my border. Well a second one as Russia through getting their shit together was still in the middle of a civil war that we were all expecting to last till at least next year, if not 1910. So the last thing I wanted was for France to become unstable and start duking it out to see who would rule Paris, or the remains of Paris I should say as there would be no way Paris got out such a civil war intact. That was one thing I was glad about that I didn’t have to give the order to destroy that city during the war.

As for France the times were a changing. Earlier this year the French Army to the surprise of everyone asked Philippe VIII Duke of Orleans to come to France to be king. Philippe had accepted that offer and had returned to Paris. Then King Philippe VII once in Paris had asked Charles Maurras and Action Française to form a new government with Maurras as the Prime Minister of the new Kingdom of France.

Information about what I was now calling the Third Kingdom of France was starting to filler out. Philippe was nothing more than a figurehead meant to be a uniting symbol for the people of France to rally around. The true powers in France at the moment were the Army and Maurras. There were some hints that Maurras was in on the planning on the coup that overthrew the elected government of the Third Republic.

While Maurras and his supporters were working on building a new constitution for France, he was already making moves as was the army. The French Army had with the backing of Maurras taken a hardline with the Berbers in Algeria who were the ones in revolt against Paris. They were taking my playbook for those caught out of uniform and hanging them and then they took it to another level. They were hanging Berbers by the bushel at the moment with no signs they were slowing down. Honestly from what was coming out of Algeria it looked like they might of have decided to start their own ethnic cleansing campaign against the Berbers. That said in Vietnam they had taken to simply holding the coastal cities while they dealt with Algeria before crushing that revolt. I was starting to worry that even with my efforts other horrible events were coming to replace the horrible events that I had been able to stop.

Just as I was finishing the section on what my intelligence folks believed Maurras and the French Army were up to there was a knock on my door. “Enter.” I said as I closed up the report.

My personal secretary entered the room, “Sir Generalfeldmarschall Einem, Generaloberst Mackensen, and Admiral Holtzendorff are here for their 9 o’clock meeting.”

“Send them in please Hans.” I replied as I put my report up and got my notes out for this meeting. This meeting was to address the new army law and conscription law that were being worked on. Hopefully both would be finished this year.

At that Hans exited by office and got the three flag officers. They all bowed before me before I spoke, “Gentlemen please take your seats we have much to talk about.”

I knew what was likely to be the first order on the menu. It was going to be about the new conscription law. Conscription under it would stay at current levels but a recruit’s time in uniform would be reduce from 24 months to 18 if in the army. The navy would increase to 30 months through from the current 24 months. This was because of the increasingly complex nature of the equipment of the navy and many within the halls of powers in Germany admitting we finally needed a proper navy instead of a naval built to show we were a great power. So we wanted to get a good pool of sailors built up.

What was the hot topic through was the about the new conscription law was the formation of women branches of the army and navy. Unlike men they would not be conscripted. Instead, they would be a pure volunteer force but in a clearly support role and a limited one at that. These being support staff positions such as secretaries, finance, and other rear in the gear positions.

Further there would be some hard limits on them. Enlisted personal and officers could only be single, once they marry, they would be discharged. The same held true if they ended up pregnant. With the enlisted personal they would be discharged by the age of 27 no matter what as I was building this as a good way for women to get money before they marry not a career path for them. Officers through could serve long enough to get a pension so long as they didn’t get married or knocked up first. Further there would only be one commission each of the ranks of major and korvettenkapitän who would be the heads of these services.

Then there was the mess that was the army laws which would reform the German Army to make it even into a more deadly machine than it already was.

The New Face of France Pt I

Warning: This is update may be upsetting to readers, just before warned as we are meeting evil here.

Paris
Palais de l'Élysée
July 15 1908

Prime Minister Charles Maurras of the Kingdom of France had a pair of highly classified reports to before him. Both were known by the army and he supported their actions in both events. These reports however were outlining the outcome of one and stating the progress with the other. Both of these programs would be critical for moving forward. It would secure Action Française’s position of power within France along with helping restore France’s position in the world when France was ready to step back on to the world stage.

The army knew that its coup that overthrew the socialist would cause backlash from them. Maurras knew it as well. It was why when the coup was launched the army raided socialist offices, homes, and places of work and arrested them in mass. Not all of them were caught but the vast majority of socialist within France by the end of the coup were in prison camps that were being guarded by the best the army had to offer.

Even through the army wanted to put them up against the wall, Maurras was against that. France could ill afford to be killing its own. A socialist Frenchman was still a Frenchman, if just misguided. No they were in reeducation camps learning how to be good and loyal Frenchmen again. If they couldn’t learn how to be good Frenchmen again, they would be put to work somewhere in the empire under guard. What they would do through Maurras wasn’t sure of.

As for those that had escaped the army during the coup, some had fled to Switzerland or Spain. The French were hated by the Belgians so going there was out of the question. The Italians were too close to the Germans to live there. The British were unacceptable so it was either going to the Swiss or Spanish. If they fled their lives were forfeit at that point and the army had people working as assassins making sure these people didn’t cause problems. If they were still in France the army would arrest them and throw them into the reeducation camps to help teach them how to be good Frenchmen again.

It was this reason most of France was still calm at the moment. The socialist might have been pissed at the coup but if their leaders were all in camps or dead there was no one around to organize a resistance against him and Action Française. Still, he knew even with that unless he turned things around in France the people of France would rebel against him sooner or later and that wouldn’t do. No, he knew he needed to improve the life of the daily people here so socialism would lose its appeal and people would be supporting Action Française in massive numbers.

As for the other report, it was about dealing with the on-going rebellion in Algeria. The rebellions in Indochina and Madagascar the army had pulled back to coastal cities and decided to hold on there till there were enough troops to deal with those rebellions. Keeping control of Algeria through was upmost importance for both the army and Maurras. They could ill afford to lose anymore of Metropolitan France than they had in the last war. They had to secure Algeria or the people of France would lose faith in his ability to lead France back to greatness.

This was why they were taking extreme measures as the Berber people who still made up the majority of the population in Algeria. Any of the Berber people who were caught up in the fighting were being hung for their crimes against France. Maurras however understood that was only a half measure. If they didn’t push hard enough it would leave the seeds to a future rebellion against the French as the Berbers had proven themselves to be un-loyal to France.

Men, boys, the old, and even some young girls, were being rounded up and being forced to work on various projects to improve the state of infrastructure in Algeria or mining lignite near Tébessa. However, this work wasn’t meant to be something that would be long lasting. No, the idea was to work them to death so they couldn’t be a problem in the future. This way it would clear the way to settling Algeria with loyal Frenchmen.

As to babies that were being found, they were being sent to orphanage here in European France. They would be raised to be good Catholic Frenchmen or women. Maurras understood with the Treaty of Vienna and the union that created between Germany and Austria meant that France would never stand a chance against Berlin in the future. After the war France’s population was just under 38 million people as just over a million French people had been lost in the war. Between the various new territories and Germany itself, Berlin had a population of just over 85 million people. Then that wasn’t counting the new personal union between Germany and the Grand Duchy of the Baltic. That was at least another three million people that Berlin could mobilize. Maurras knew he needed to redress this massive imbalance as Berlin had over double their population and unless drastic measures were taken that divide would grow even more.

For the women and girls old enough to be carry a baby that were being rounded up, they were going into brothels to give French soldiers free services. However, they were being careful to make sure the women they were giving this duty do did not have any VD. If the women rounded up had VD they would be sent to the work camps. The same when for the soldiers who got these services. No because his goal was for these women to become pregnant so they could boost the population of France. Once they give birth the baby after the needed period with the mother would be shipped off to the orphanages of France so they also could be raised to be good Frenchmen and Women. They would use those women and girls for as long as their bodies held up.

Maurras knew this wasn’t the long-term answer as this would only give them a shot in the arm. He needed to get the French people to recommit to the battle of the bedroom. He was working on a series of laws to help to that in. He also had to do it in such a way to make sure these new children of France wouldn’t turn to socialism in the future. That was a balance he was working to strike with the laws he was trying to get pass at the moment.

Wedding Joy

Potsdam
Sanssouci
August 30 1908

I had said my goodbyes to junior and his new wife Maria Bernadotte earlier this morning as the new to them started their honeymoon. The wedding had been the grand affair that one would had expected it to be when the crown prince of an empire got married. Here I had been thinking Lizi and Eitel’s wedding had been bad. Maria and junior’s wedding made it to where Lizi and Eitel’s couldn’t hold a candle to this affair. Still junior was married and I was hoping that Maria would at least give him an heir to the throne.

As I was taking part in my morning walk in the gardens of this palace I ran into one of the guest from the wedding who was staying here. “Your majesty.” He said to me.

“Nicky you don’t have to do that.” I said before speaking again, “Care to join me on my walk?”

“I would be honor Willy.”

A moment later we were walking again. “How is life in Switzerland treating you Nicky.” I honestly like him. He was a good person just not a good leader. He also just had the misfortune to be the tsar of Russia, a nation I did have a problem. Still though we were friends, and honestly good friends. I hosted him at some palace a few times every year since he gave up his royal titles.

“Its been relaxing after the stresses of St. Petersburg.” Nicky replied and I noted that he was still calling Petrograd by its old name. That told me a lot. “I taken up painting lately and I find it most relaxing.”

I knew Nicky and his children had enough money that they would never have to worry about anything if they took care of their money, neither would Nicky’s grandkids. Indeed all of Nicky’s kids had joined him on this trip here.

“I didn’t take you for a painter Nicky.” At that Nicky simply just shrug his shoulders. “On a slightly different note, what’s going on between you and Cecilie?” I asked speaking about the woman that junior would had married if not for whatever force brought both my and Dona’s consciences into these bodies. Which event had changed everything in this world. She was still unwed which honestly I found surprising as I figured she would had been married by now. Lately though I had notice as others that she and Nicky were getting close.

Nicky just smiled before speaking. “She is helping me move on from the loss of my wife Willy.” He paused for a moment. “On that note, what are we going to do about Olga and Joachim?” Joachim was the 16 and had been part of the Kaiser Quad, and the only boy of the group. Olga was Nicky’s oldest daughter and she was 13 at the moment and would be 14 by the end of the year. I didn’t like then starting that young but I wasn’t going to stop it either.

I just smiled back at him. His oldest daughter, and one of my sons were hard to find after the wedding itself took place. And when they were found it was always together. “We are getting old my friend. If our kids find love with each other than we should celebrate it. It however could be puppy love and then as we get older, we can laugh about it.”

Tech Growth Part XIII

Near Saaz
Army Base
October 1 1908

Leutnant Heinz Guderian was standing in formation with his new company of this new brigade size formation. This unit was being stood up as part of the new army laws that had been signed into law by the Kaiser earlier this year. That law was putting the army through a major reorganization and it also approved some new experimental ideas with this unit being one of those new experimental ideas.

Guderian himself was one of the few non-combat veteran officers in this formation from the time he had spent with the other officers prior to today. He had been a cadet at the start of the war. Like many other cadets he had been hurried through training and given his officer cadet commission. Instead of being assigned to the infantry school liked he hoped he would be he was instead assigned to another school. That assignment was a let down for Guderian. The fact that his waffenfarbe was yellow was something he was ashamed of. Who did he anger to be assigned to signal school?

Once his training was over, he was posted to headquarters of the 7th Army where he had served out the war never being closer than 10 kilometers to the front. Now he had been assigned to the signal company of this new experimental brigade that was being stood up to test out new ideas. He was sure someone was trying to derail his career but he wasn’t sure who. His marks as a cadet were good for the most part and he had done well at signal school. Still, he couldn’t understand why his career was taking the path it was.

The unit itself was being called the Motorisierte Brigade. The Großer Generalstab was still performing studies of the various operations of the last war looking for ways to improve for future wars. One thing they had figured out they needed to get troops moving faster than walking pace when they were on the offensive. A number of times the French had been able to reform defensive lines that would force the German Army to stop its offensive and mount another breakthrough operation to reopen the front to get away from the hell that was the trench system that would otherwise form. The Motorisierte Brigade was an experimental unit to see if mounting soldiers on trucks could possibly be an answer to this ability that the French had reforming defensive lines almost at will. The only reason the Russians didn’t do this was because unlike in the west there was always a flank to turn. Still given how vast Russia was the Großer Generalstab wanted a way to be ability to quickly defeat Russia shall war be declared again.

For the new Army Law, the formation of the Motorisierte Brigade was only a small part of the over all law. The German Army was now being expanded from its pre-war strength of eight armies, to ten. This however was folding the former Austro-Hungarian formations into the German Army instead of the ad hoc system that had been in place since the Treaty of Vienna had been signed.

Yet it also did much more than that. One of the key parts of the law was funding to help bring up the army to its approved TO&E of equipment and reserves. It also created a system to allow officers and NCOs of the Schutztruppe to transfer into the German Army proper and the other way around. The Schutztruppe was also to be held to German Army standards even through they were their own formation that was still different from the German Army. It was also increasing the strength of the Schutztruppe with a corp formation approved for Mittelafrika, with a division being stationed in Southwest Africa and Hainan each. Togoland was approved for its own regiment with the two cities on the Shandong Peninsula having their own battalions.

Guderian himself wasn’t really worried about rest of the army law through. He was a signal officer in the Motorisierte Brigade and he hoped he could prove to his brigade commander that he should be allowed to be an infantry officer instead of a signal officer he currently was.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIII

Kiel
SMY Hohenzollern
November 10 1908

I felt my blood pressure rise as I was reading the dispatch that was in front of me. I had been keeping an eye on this for the past week, but with this? I wasn’t just hoping mad. I was so mad I would chew up coal and sit out diamonds mad.

Officially I was here for the reopening of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal. It had opened up the first time in 1896 but had been quickly overtaken by advancing ship size and had become limited in use. In 1903 I had been able to get funding for an expansion project. I still didn’t think it was going to be large enough for what I wanted but it was an improvement over how the canal had been finished in 1906. Mentally I was already planning for another expansion project for this canal would come due in the 1920s.

This was because I didn’t want any of the odd three propeller ships in my fleet. There was already growing talk of another naval law that would most likely kick start an Anglo-German Naval Arms race. I knew what happened to the Bismarck on Rheinübung and that just wouldn’t do. That just wouldn’t be acceptable. As such I was pushing for all of the future capital ships of the navy to be four screw designs just so a lucky shot to that area of the ship wouldn’t disable it.

Crumping the dispatch I spoke a single word, “WIIILSON!” I knew I was taking a page from The Cynical Historian from the old world I knew. Like him I had a burning hate of Woodrow Wilson. He had been the wrong man for the job from the time he stepped into the Oval Office. He was a conservative who pretended to be a progressive to destroy progressivism. He was also damn sure the wrong man to lead America on to the world stage. He was too much of a dreamer on the international arena who didn’t have the first bloody idea what realpolitik was. It was his bloody ideas that I believed were the root cause as to why I had friends die in Iraq and I bled there. And now that fucker was president elect of the United States.

The election in the United States saw the US limping along from its ongoing recession that was bordering on depression. Still the northern states by and large when for the Republicans with the south being the Solid South when to Wilson. However, the midwestern states had largely flipped too the Democratic Party in this election as they didn’t trust the Republicans to fix the economy at this point. Everything through hanged on California which had been a tight race. A race that had only just been called a week after the election for Wilson. He pulled it out with just 109 votes total. It was why it took so long to call California in the election as the margins were just that tight in California.

Now the question was how to spin this for the benefit of Germany.

Domestic Issues Pt III

Near Hechingen
Burg Hohenzollern
December 21 1908

I always enjoyed my Christmas holidays here. Through as I got older how things when had changed. My youngest were in their teenage years now. So now the joys I had from them opening up their gifts early in the morning had been replaced by my two grandchildren who were visiting us this Christmas. I knew Lizi was a few months along with her third child. Given the heat that was going on between Eitel and Lizi I doubted they were stopping at three.

Junior was here with his new wife as well. She was also pregnant with a honeymoon baby. What I found odd through, we her friend from Sweden who Maria was close to her was also pregnant and around the same stage as well. I hadn’t asked junior any questions about that as I frankly didn’t want to know. It was really a case of ignorance is bliss.

At the moment through I was in my study reading a book about agriculture. I was going to have to do something next year that I didn’t want too ever do again. That was to reform German agriculture. I still remembered the fight from the last time I did it. I didn’t know what it was about farmers but they are a stubborn bunch who didn’t like change. They however need to change if Germany had a chance in the next war whenever that was fought.

Food imports had when down after the last round of reforms in the 1890s but Germany was still a growing nation and still needed to import food to feed her population. Even with the areas we annexed via the war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany was still depended on food imports. If the current growth rates were maintained even those reforms would be offset by the rapidly growing population of Germany. That needed to change so in the next war a British blockade wouldn’t starve us out like they had in 1914 to 1918 war in the world that only Dona and I knew.

So, to make this push I was studying up on the field of agriculture. This was also one of those times I would honestly kill someone for a tablet computer with internet connection as I knew next to nothing about agriculture. That meant the best I could do would be current ideas unless I had some kind of spark that help me remember some dormant memory of facts that I had once read but couldn’t remember at the current moment.

That’s what led to soybeans being used as forage crop at the moment. The number of farmers growing soybeans were increasing, but it was still only being used as a forage crop. I was hoping to change that and get it where they would be used as human food as well. I knew how much soybeans could do to feed people after having worked in a grocery store for a number of years and saw how much soy stuff was sold. Germany however was still a long way away from that through.

Still, I would have to increase food production levels by a sizable amount to stand up to the British blockade. I knew the British were making plays for both Rome and Budapest. With Budapest I was honestly at the point the British could have the Hungarians as allies. I had already inked a secret alliance with the Romanians as I didn’t want to totally give up on securing an agreement with the Hungarians. That was more hedging the bet than anything else at the moment. I was getting close to the point of telling the Hungarians to go to the devil as they were that hard headed and prideful. I wasn’t there yet, but every time I came back from talks with them it was getting closer and closer to that point. They were trying to be the French of the Danube. At least with the French their culture was enjoyable, the Hungarians were just people who had delusions of grandeur at their culture and how important they were.

Rome I wasn’t sure which way she would go now. Italian Irredentism had been taken care of in whole save for Ticino in Switzerland. Finding a casus belli for to go to war against the Swiss would be challenging and fighting in the Alps I was something I really didn’t care to do. So it was a question of now that the Italians were full of almost everything they ever wanted how would they go now as they only have the French, Hungarians, and my Germans as their neighbors.

As I was making a note on how larger farms produced more food per acre than smaller ones, Dona came in. “Love, Nicholas and his family are here.” She said as she walked into my study. My studies were things that would make most book collects jealous with envy. Between here and Berlin I had well over a thousand books that I had personally read since ending up in this body. Many were first editions and some of them were rare books.

Once Dona reached me, she leaned down for a soulful kiss. “I’m coming dear.” I said once she pulled back.

“Good, I know Nicholas is looking forward to trying to match you in chess again.” Last time we had met in Berlin we had taken to playing chess and I had best him in most games we had played.

“I wonder if he had been studying to play 3D Chess since last time.” I said with a laugh, a laugh that Dona joined in on understanding the inside joke I made.

1908 Year in Review

Domestic

The Bohemian Compact

This law moves the status of the Czech, or as its officially known in the German Empire Bohemian, to that of an official language within the empire akin to the same status Polish gained from the Posen Compact.

Under this law, Bohemian is primary taught within the Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia at Gesamtschule level and up. However, in the Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia they have to have Gesamtschule with German as the primary language for areas where German is common. Outside the Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia, Bohemian is an elective language to be learned at the Gymnasium level of education. Within the Kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia, through the normally elected language is replaced with required language courses. If Bohemian had been the primary language to date, those students will need to learn German. If German had been the primary language to date, those students will need to learn Bohemian.

Within the colonies Bohemian can now be used by the native population as a pathway to gaining colonial citizenship. However, based on the current data with less than two percent of those gaining colonial citizenship using Polish as their language, its doubted that Bohemian will be used in the colonies all that much.

Conscription Law of 1908

Under this law, there are many changes to how conscription works within Germany. Those serving in the army see a decrease of length of active-duty service. They now serve 18 months instead of the 24 months as under the prior law. Those conscripted into the navy through see an increase now serving 30 months. It also refined the reserve system while not increasing the time in the reserves. This is mostly to take in problems from the last war where those in critical war industries were called up to active duty at the start of the war before being discharged to return to work in critical war industries. Under the new system those who work at approved companies may be discharged from reserve service so long they maintain their employment at these approved companies. Those in the active reserves through now report for one weekend a month and two weeks of summer training while in the active reserve phase of the reserve system.

The hot button issue through was the creation of women army and navy branches. Unlike their male counterparts those in the women services are totally volunteer. Enlisted women can only serve between the ages of 20 and 27 and not rise beyond the rank of unteroffizier in the army or maat in the navy. Officers while in theory can retire with a government pension, they can only reach ranks of major in the army or korvettenkapitän in the navy. Of these officer ranks there were only a single commission for each rank and those were the heads of the women service of each branch.

Further with the women services, when a woman becomes either married or becomes pregnant, they are given an honorable discharge from service unless there is a reason to give them a discharge other than honorable. The only acceptation to the rules of being discharged if they become pregnant is if they were raped and filed raped charges. Finally, they were limited to a very select number of jobs that would put them no where near the front in another war.

Army Law of 1908

Under this law it saw the founding of the 9th and 10th Armies as part of the peacetime strength of the German Army. The units for these armies through are largely made up from former Austro-Hungarian Common Army and K.K. Landwehr through some other units are brought in to help bring the new armies up to their assigned TO&E. This replaces the ad hoc system for both the former Common Army and K.K. Landwehr that swore an oath to the German Empire in the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

There was also a massive chunk of funding put aside in this law to bring the army up to its full TO&E including both new armies which are largely equipped with equipment that isn’t in the German supply chain.

Another feature of this law was the creation of a number of experimental formations to test ideas. The largest of these were the Motorisierte Brigade. It however was far from the only experimental unit formed. These units include a scouting aircraft wing, a zeppelin Fallschirmjäger battalion, and a unit simply known as a Panzer Company.

The law also focused on the Schutztruppe. It created a system where NCO and officers from the German Army may transfer to the Schutztruppe for a few years and the same holding true for the Schutztruppe. It also increased the size of the Schutztruppe. A corp of three infantry divisions, two cavalry brigades, plus all the normal units seen within a corp size unit within the German Army. This corp is for the defense of Mittelafrika. An infantry division was approved for Southwest Africa and Hainan, an infantry regiment for Togoland, and an infantry battalion for each city on the Shandong Peninsula. Further it updated the Schutztruppe’s TO&E, while mostly effecting their small arms this marks a major improvement in firepower for the Schutztruppe as they are getting modern smokeless powder weapons instead of the old black powder weapons they had been equipped with, even if still a generation behind what the German Army was using.

Further, under this law a heavy emphasis is placed on improving the logistics of the German Army. This sees new logistical units being formed in effort to better supply the German Army when its on a war footing. As part of this law funding of canals and railroads was approved to help improve the logistical ability of the German Army.

Finally it saw the formation of the Gemeinsamer Generalstab where the army and navy can perform the board strokes of the planning before passing on their work to the respected staffs within the both services to perform the fine details of planning.

Changes Within Government Personal

Generaloberst August von Mackensen was named the Secretary of War.

Newly Signed Treaties

Personal Union with the Grand Duchy of the Baltic

In the aftermath of Grand Duke Herbrand being removed from the throne, the Grand Duchy of the Baltic offer the throne to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany who accepted the offer. Following formation of the personal union a number of trade treaties and an alliance treaty were signed in the following months. (Note I’m not going to cover domestic politics of the Grand Duchy of the Baltic here unless its needed.)

Georgian Agreement

This was part of a deal that was stuck when the British figured out how badly they underestimated Wilhelm. Under the terms of this agreement the British grant diplomatic recognition to Tiflis in return for the Germans agreeing to stop supporting splinter groups within the Russian civil war. The Germans follow that part but it did evac a number of pro-German independence folks from the Ukraine and Caucasus regions to allow them regroup in Germany.

Foreign Regions

United States

Slightly Decreasing

Britain

In London’s eyes Berlin is Public Enemy Number One. In Berlin they aren’t openly trying to piss off the British but they are refusing to bend the knee as well.

France

Ice Cold

Italy

Improving

Russia

Outright hostile, but not open war hostile.

Japan

Stable

Hungary

Dropping like a rock.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Battlecruiser

Von der Tann Class Battlecruisers

22,400 tons standard load, 8 x 30.5s L/50s in Twins, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts

Von der Tann
Moltke

Z-49 Class Destroyers

900 ton Standard Load, 3 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 32 kts,

12 Ordered

U-6 Class Submarine

425 tons surfaced, 515 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 5.0 cm deck gun, 12 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

4 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

As both of them grow older they are taking the needed steps to make sure they live a long and rewarding life. Wilhelm’s knee through suffered a set back during the Christmas holidays when he partly tore his ACL again playing with his grandkids during the Christmas holiday.

Cloak Then Dagger Pt IV

Warsaw
Apartment Complex
February 3 1909

It was just after one in the morning as Oberstleutnant Alfred Redl of the German Army enter his apartment. He was currently on assignment as an intelligence liaison officer with the newly formed Polish Intelligence Agency the Dwojka. His job was to help train the Polish in counterintelligence work. As a member of the Evidenzbureau he had built up a name as a good counterintelligence officer having uncovered a number of Russian spies. It was why in the aftermath of the Treaty of Vienna and Redl had been elected to serve in the German Army he had been assigned to their intelligence section. Today had been his last day before starting a ten day leave where he planned to go to Königsberg for a vacation.

What no one knew was he had given up those spies to cover his own work for the Russians. For that he not only was given praise by his superiors for the work but a promotion. However, on joining the German Army he had lost command of the Evidenzbureau as the German Army had a far larger intelligence agency than the Austro-Hungarian Army did. Even through he had retained his rank, he was now just a much smaller cog in a much larger machine.

As he entered the living room he heard the unmistakable sound of a pistol slide being pulled back, “Ah Oberstleutnant Redl, so nice of you to finally be home. I was starting to think you would spend all night with that toy the British had given you to play with.”

Redl froze as he knew the voice. The voice belonged to a fellow officer that was also serving here in Poland. Major Walter Nicolai was a jack of all trades master of none intelligence officer, or that’s what Redl had believed before now. Nicolai had been assigned here to Warsaw three months ago and Redl figure he could play him like he played everyone else so far. He had been wrong through. You wouldn’t send a jack of all trades officer for this kind of mission as Redl believed his life was about to end. Before Redl could do anything, Nicolai spoke again, “Sit down Redl we have much to talk about.”

Seeing in the low light Redl saw Nicolai had a new gun pointing at him. It was a specialized pistol that was meant to be carried by intelligence officers in high risk operations outside of Germany. It was a semi-automatic pistol that fired 7.65 mm Browning Ammo. What made the pistol different was its two stage integrally suppressor that would keep the sound of the shot to a whisper. Even more so when they used the special sub-sonic ammo that had been designed for it. Redl had already passed the manual on that pistol to the British along with a few rounds of the special sub-sonic ammo.

Even through he had started life as a spy working for the Russians the Russians had handed Redl over to the British in 1907 just after the Treaty of Vienna. Redl didn’t know the details of why the Russians had done it, but now he just reported to the British. The British still paid him well along with help with his urges like the Russians had. “Sit Redl, I don’t want to have to repeat myself again.”

“I out rank you Major, so get out of my apartment.” Redl tried to pull rank, but doubted it would work but he had to try to save his own skin.

“Given how the British are paying you for your services, you are a disgrace and your rank doesn’t mean anything anymore. If it was up to me, I would had just shot you but someone wants you to be debriefed.” Nicolai said and you could hear the anger in his words. “Now sit down.”

At that Redl sat down and kept looking forward keeping an eye on Nicolai. Before Redl could speak, Nicolai did, “Your leave had been cancelled but not cancelled, you are going to be travelling with me to Königsberg to be debriefed and a decision on your future will be made there. What happens depends on how truthful you are and if we decide there is any use for a piece of shit such as yourself.” You could hear the venom in Nicolai’s voice.

“How did you find out?” Redl wanted to know what gave it up he had been a spy for nearly a decade.

At that question Nicolai laughed. As part of the duties of being an intelligence officer one had to fill out quarterly forms about finance income, debts, and a host of other things. When they had performed the first check on Redl after the Treaty of Vienna the people doing it noticed that something was off. Redl came from a poor family yet his bank account had far more money than what his salary as an officer could give him. That had opened the counter intelligence investigation against Redl. It took over a year to get enough evidence to prove Redl was a British agent. Now they were going to Königsberg to debrief Redl and turn him into a double agent.

“The how doesn’t matter Redl. All that matters is you have been caught and you are going to tell us everything if you value your life.” Nicolai said knowing it was a lie. He had done this before and would do it again. Nicolai knew that his bosses liked having double agents under their control so they could feed bad information to their foes. “We will be leaving on the 0545 to Königsberg so get ready to travel.” Nicolai informed Redl.

Sports Pt II

Berlin
Football Stadium
March 16 1909

The announcer for FC Union Berlin[1] called out over the intercom system, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand for Kaiser Wilhelm and Empress Augusta Victoria who are in attendance today.” Across the 5,000-seat stadium everyone in attention stood and turned to the royal booth as they cheered. We were both universally loved within the empire and to have us in attention for a football game was something that would have them all of them talking with their friends and family for weeks to come.

Football was becoming an increasingly popular sport across all of Germany. Kaiserliche Fußballliga had been founded before the war and had been set to play its inaugural season in 1904-05. That had been delayed by the war to 1907-08 for the inaugural season of play with this being the second season of play. Based on my talks with Dona the Kaiserliche Fußballliga would be in the same position as Bundesliga had been in the world we came from. While I hadn’t been the biggest football fan or soccer as I knew it back then, I knew the Bundesliga had been a big deal within Germany. While there weren’t as many levels as there had been in 21st century Germany as me and Dona knew it, football was a growing sport within the empire.

After the applause had died down after a good minute as both Dona and I waving to the crowd the announcer for the club started to speak again with the pre-game information before kickoff. We both had thought about doing the coin flip of the game but decided against it. I was still recovering from my ACL tear and still needed a wheelchair to get around for the most part. While I could walk short distances again, there was no way I could walk to the center of the field and back again. Dona on the other hand was having her own problems as her hot flashes were a common problem at the current moment. She was going through menopause, or that’s what we both believed it was. It was the only thing that fit the symptoms she was having and the doctors agreed. With the lack of medical technology through we couldn’t be 100% sure through.

The crowd then cheered when FC Union Berlin won the toss over FC Bayern Munich. Both teams were teams that were both in the hunt for the championship this year. After last year’s heart breaking lost to Bayern Munich, Union Berlin wanted to even the score. So far they were even this year, but this wouldn’t be the last time they meet either. Still, it was a small victory for the home team. I even cheered for this as I had become a fan of FC Union Berlin.

Dona just shook her head as she looked at me, “To think you are a football fan now.”

I just shrugged my shoulders not knowing what to say to that. Football as I knew it, well what passed for football in the United States wouldn’t happen in this world. Gridiron Football as Dona knew it was likely to be outlawed in the US in the near future. Wilson had ran on banning the sport as far too many college students were dying from it. From what I seen for reasons I didn’t understand no one had come up with the forward pass in this world. Congress was looking liking they would go along with this so it was likely to die this year. I never really had the chance to bring that here to Germany but my taste had been changing so maybe it was for the best that it died.

We both knew that ripple effects were happening across Germany and the wider world right now. In the world of sports one that I had caused was the formation of the basketball league within Germany. While Imperiale Basketballliga wasn’t as big as Kaiserliche Fußballliga, it was still a growing sport within the empire. It also wasn’t the NBA I had known. IB was a three-on-three half court league that had two 20 minute halves in its current form.

Another effect we had, well I had more than Dona was running was something that was also booming in popularly across Germany. Even with my knee injury, running clubs were still growing. It was also one of the reasons in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London Germans ran away with the medals in the athletic section of the games last year. Then there was the Berlin Marathon which was a big event every year and growing. Last year just over marathon having over a thousand runners in it with most finishing it.

Dona was having her own effects on the sport world. She had been pushing for women to take part in the Olympics since the start of the games. With her drive behind it had led to a small number of women events taking place in the London Games last year. It wasn’t clear yet how many more women events would be added at Amsterdam in 1912, but it was already understood more women events would be added there on top of the few from the London Games.

Also because of Dona’s effort there was some limited talk of forming a women’s counterpart to the Kaiserliche Fußballliga. Unlike the talk that when before the formation of Kaiserliche Fußballliga, I didn’t think a women’s counterpart would happen anytime soon. Even through German culture have shifted to the left somewhat thanks to various things Dona and I have done, it just seemed like a bridge too far at the moment.

[1] Yes I’m using OTL names, this is more to keep things simple than anything else. This is from me largely not knowing about Football to do this well enough.

Tech Growth Part XIV

Worcester, Massachusetts
Clark University
April 28 1909

Robert Goddard was walking the campus as he was pondering his future. He was about to finish his master’s degree here at Clark University, but he lacked the funding needed to start the doctorate program here. He had connected his alma mater about the possibly of returning of being an instructor there again. He however had received a letter back from Worcester Polytechnic Institute saying they couldn’t rehire him at the current time. So that left him wondering what he was going to do with his future. Maybe he could teach science at a high school, but the question was where? Most job openings had dozens of people applying for them as work was still that hard to come by at the moment.

Still Robert was also wondering what Dr. Webster wanted as he made his way to see who would had been his doctoral advisor had he the money needed to pay for the schooling along with the needed room and board. He had enough money for one or the other but not both. Clark University scholarship he had been counting on to pay for his studies had been withdrawn as the university was looking to save money at the moment as the economy from the look of things was finally bottom out.

When Robert reached Dr. Webster’s office, he knocked on the door. Dr. Webster then spoke, “Enter.” At that Robert entered the office where he saw Dr. Webster along with a man he had never seen before. “Please take a seat Robert.” Dr. Webster said as he gestured with his hands for Robert to take a seat.

Once Robert was seeded Dr. Webster started to speak again, “Robert, allow me to introduce a friend of mine. This is Dr. Otto Lummer, we became friends when we were both doctorial students under the late Doctor Helmholtz when I was studying in Berlin.”

“Nice to meet you Dr. Lummer.” Robert said unsure where this meeting was going.

“A pleasure to meet you as well Robert.” Dr. Lummer said before going on. “Dr. Webster had informed me that you are a bright student who lost your scholarship to pay for finishing your studies.”

“That is correct Dr. Lummer.” Robert replied.

“Dr. Webster had shared with some of your work and I agree you have promise. I also agree with his statement that it would be a shame for you not to finish your education, Robert. After cabling by employer, they have offer to pay for your doctorate studies at the Technical University of Berlin.”

Both men saw the joy in Robert’s face at this news. It took a moment for Robert to get his mind working again after the shock of this news. “Who is your employer Dr. Lummer?”

“I’m currently a project manager for the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society. While I specialize in optical research your ideas on rocketry warrant further study. All that the Gauss Society ask in return for paying for your studies is to work for them for five years while performing research into your ideas on rocketry.”

Robert knew of the reputation of the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society. They were a well known group that was behind a new wave of science coming out of Germany. The fact he would have to spend six or seven years in Germany was more than acceptable for getting his doctorial degree along with five years of being able to do pure research in the field he cared about. “I accept Dr. Lummer.”

Unknown to Robert, that the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society was using their contacts within the American University system to bring students like him to Germany. The five years of work was viewed as way to get some return on their investment in these students. There was some hope to get these students to stay in Germany this way as well, but that was yet to be seen.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIV

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
June 2 1909

The rage I felt in my body was at a full roaring boil at the moment. Only once before I felt this kind of unbridle anger. That had been when I had learned of the Massacre of the Legation Quarter during the war with China over a decade ago. The difference between that and this through that was done in a frenzy with no rime or reason. This? This was cold and calculated. This was on a level of Generalplan Ost of the Nazi era, only if directed at Algeria instead of Russia. It was possibly even worse than Generalplan Ost for the outright sexual slavery that Action Française was pushing in Algeria.

My briefer was looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Then again, the raw filtered anger that was coming out of me must had been making him nervous. I knew it wasn’t the topic as he then had the look on his face when he had entered the room. It was more of the man who drew the short straw and had do to this. Which told me something was up because it was viewed as an honor to be a briefer for me. This news through was such that I could see why no wanted to deliver it to me.

After clearing my throat, I spoke, “How solid is this intelligence?”

“We have photographic proof your majesty. Along with decrypted radio transmissions, and source information.” He replied.

Even before this briefing everyone knew the French were up to something evil in Algeria. Yet no one knew what or the scale of the evil. There had been Berbers who had escaped into British Morocco or Italian Tunis with their stories being too close to be able to dismissed. The French however hadn’t been able to keep the press out of Algeria claiming it was a zone in rebellion and they were working to regain control of it. As such they couldn’t safely bring the press into the zone of rebellion.

I wonder what the source information was. I knew the political position of Action Française wasn’t secure at the moment. Even through the risk of a French civil war had lessen since the coup that overthrew the French socialist before they could secure their power, it was still there. It however was growing smaller by the day. This through might be enough to spark it. The question I had to answer did I want to spark that. Or did I want to try and make a play like I did with the Belgians when I got the Congo from them.

After thinking about it for a moment, “Inform Foreign Minister von Schoen that I wish to speak with him. Today, as soon as he is informed of this.” If I could help it this wouldn’t stand. I would see Maurras hanging from the tallest oak tree I could find if I ever got my hands on him.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXV

London
Foreign Office
July 15 1909

It had been just over two weeks since Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung had published a shocking story about the horrors of what the French were doing in Algeria. The story was such that it warranted its own issue instead of going with the normal weekly issue that BIZ published. In the first page of the special edition BIZ warned its readers that what they were about to read and see was horrific and deeply appalling. In this special edition BIZ detailed slave labor, sexual slavery, and massive kidnapping being done by the newly reformed Kingdom of France. It had photos to go along with the story and that’s what made it so damning.

Here in Britain the story by BIZ was causing an uproar by the public. At first members of parliament tried not to go there. However, the public uproar was such that there was now talk of forming a special commission to investigate the matter. This was going beyond what even the British did during the Second Boer War, and there had been major public backlash over that. The only reason the British got away with it because they were the British. Now the British public were demanding the French be stopped, but they weren’t in agreement on how. It was this lack of unity that was giving Sir Edward Grey the needed room to move.

Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm was pressing for a full on investigation into this matters and had even called on the United States, Japan, and Brazil to join the team to travel to Algeria to investigate these claims made by BIZ. This also was bringing in the usual suspects of Italy, Hungary, and Britain to travel to Algeria to look into this. Grey didn’t want the Germans to have the lead on this so he was working to make sure the British would have the lead in the investigation so they could steer it to the point he wanted it to go.

When BIZ broke the story, it triggered a horrible series of events that started in France and reached its crescendo in Algeria that was still on going as they were stalling for time. Prime Minister Maurras was many things. He however wasn’t insane as some claimed he was. Further he wasn’t stupid. He knew that it was a possibly that the crimes that Action Française were committing in Algeria would be found out about. As such he planned for this from the word go as he knew unlike the British the French would have to bend the knee if the international community forced it. France was that weak on the international stage and Maurras knew it.

So, when the story broke and the French Embassy in Berlin reported the news back to Paris it triggered the events that were still playing out right now. So now they have taking even harsh measures to cover up what they had been doing prior to the story breaking. Instead of letting nature take its course with those who were too weak to work like they had been prior to the news breaking of what they were doing, they were now killing them and burying them in mass graves. This wasn’t always the case. As some of the worse camps they were simply padlocking the barracks then putting the barracks to the torch. Anyone who tried to escape was shot then left to die in the fire. Once the fire burnt itself out they simply dug a pit next to the burn out barracks and pushed the remains into the pit and buried it.

That wasn’t even getting into the whorehouses that AF was running. Those however were easier to hide in plain side through unlike the camps. What they wanted to do so with the international inspectors came they could put their best foot forward. This way they could claim that it was just the Germans trying to demonize the French.

For the French they were running out of time through. It was why French Ambassador Baron Gabriel Alapetite had taken this meeting with Sir Edward Grey. As part of the effort to strengthen the monarchy royal titles were being handed out to key personal to help build up loyally to the monarchy again after almost 40 years of republican rule in France.

After the greetings Alapetite and Grey got down to the brass tacks of why they were both here. An agreement was reached that an international team that would be led by Field Marshal Sir Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener would travel to Algeria in a forenight to perform inspections of what BIZ had claimed was the truth or not. Grey would be the one to inform the Germans of this agreement.

Before Alapetite left Grey spoke again, “Please pass it on to Prime Minister Maurras that I do not want to ever hear of stories with legs like this again.” The tone was drier than any Dry Martini anyone ever had before.

“I will pass on that message to Prime Minister Maurras.” Alapetite said understanding the meaning of what Grey had just said.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVI, Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Humanities Building
April 14 2020

There was never a single third semester student within the AS program that looked forward to the course Louis was going to take. The course known to the students collectively as the Bloody 20th was a depressing class. The topics were so deep that it was only taught once a week as even the teachers would likely be in need of psychological medication and counselling if they tried to do it on a daily basis. Yet Germany thought it was important to teach this history in detail so the mistakes of the past could be avoided by future leaders.

Officially the class was simply called Beyond Morality. It covered nations and outlined their failings from the start of the 20th century. In this class Germany didn’t pull no punches and it covered everything. This week going by the syllabus Louis knew they were starting a two class block on the French under Maurras and Action Française. Only the (redacted) would be more depressing to learn about and they were the next block up after this.

Not looking forward to this class Louis thumbed on his phone till he got to a song he enjoyed. With his ear buds in his ears he played the song as loudly as he dared. While the ability to perform surgery to add implants with those suffering hearing loss were becoming common place, Louis didn’t want to go down that route if he could help it. Then again Louis really didn’t want any of these new medical implants that were becoming common if he could help it. When the teacher came into the room Louis took his ear buds out and put them in his charger case. With his tablet ready to take notes he turned his eyes to the whiteboard that was in front of the class room.

Once the admin stuff for the class was done the teacher dimmed the lights to allow the projector to the photos that when with this class. The professor without preamble started, “Charles Maurras is an evil man. There is no other way to put it. While intelligence Maurras was one of the evilest bastards to ever walk this Earth. Having watched what, the British did in Southern Africa and us Germans did in his own nation during the First World War, he took it to a totally different level.”

At that a map of Algeria was brought up on the whiteboard. It however quickly zoomed in on the town of Orléansville. “Orléansville is the place that broke relations between London in Berlin. While the relations between the two prior to what the Kitchener Board of Inquiry found, or didn’t fine at Orléansville this broke it.”

Then a photo was moved again. The first photo was of Orléansville in the late 19th century during the time of the Third Republic. The town of Orléansville was a hub for the near by farms to bring their goods to market and the professor was outline its history prior to why Orléansville became so important. Then he changed the picture again, “This was taking during the Algerian Slaughter, just before the camp was burnt to the ground.” It was the name that formed to cover what the hell happened in Algeria between 1907-1910.

One of the students spoke up, “Who are those men in uniform?”

“They are members of the Gardien de Sécurité Royal, the paramilitary wing of Action Française.” At that point the professor when off on a slight tangent about the GSR. They however were critical to understanding the actions of the French in Algeria. By the time the news broke of what was happening in Algeria the GSR was in the process of taking over from the Army for the security of the prison camps as well as running the whore houses that were part of the plan Maurras had. In Maurras’ eyes the army was too timid to do what needed be done so he started moving the GSR into Algeria to take over from the army. That was one of the critical reasons why France didn’t break out into open civil war as it was the GSR carrying out the orders to liquidate the prison camps and not the army. Had the army been given the order most historians agreed the army would have munity against Maurras based on research in French archives that had taken place in Paris since the turn of the century.

Giving back to the topic on hand the professor started talking about the Kitchener Board of Inquiry found or didn’t find at Orléansville. Kitchener’s team reached Orléansville just hours after the GSR burnt down the prison camp that housed over 10,000 Algerian prisoners that had been rounded up by the French Army prior to the order to kill them. The GSR at the time wasn’t big enough to hide everything and it was Orléansville where that came out.

When Kitchener’s team reached Orléansville the smell of burnt flesh was thick in the air as the embers of the fire were still cracking on one hot morning in early October. In the weeks leading up to the visit to Orléansville tension had been building between Kitchener and the head of the German team on his board of inquiry, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg. It was at Orléansville these tensions boiled over and let to a public shouting match between Kitchener and Bethmann Hollweg near the former prison.

At the end of the day Bethmann Hollweg said they had seen enough. He and the German team left Algeria never to return. Their report through not published when finished in 1910 was credited with ending the worse excesses just on the threat of it going public, it still didn’t end it. Kitchener did release a report in 1911, that was largely viewed as a whitewashing of the events in Algeria.

Sexual slavery would still be a major problem moving forward, however the outright genocide of the Berber people did end. While a total number isn’t agreed on, the Algerian Slaughter and the aftermath had a lasting affects on the demographics of Algeria.

Tech Growth Part XV

Oberndorf am Neckar
Mauser Factory
October 4 1909

Today I was meeting with Paul Graf von Mauser to talk small arms yet again. As part of the post-victory celebrations after the war, I had made Paul Mauser a Graf for his work that help led to the victory. This was on top of the ennobling and other awards I had sent his way over the years. I had also made Friedrich Alfred Krupp a Graf for his work. I had mix feelings on that as I had to sweep under the rug his various escapades to keep him from killing himself like he had in the world I had come from. It however would been odd to leave him out of that rare honor given everything Krupp had done for Germany during the war.

Personally, I didn’t have anything against Friedrich being a homosexual. I was of the opinion of what happened between two or more consenting adults wasn’t my bloody business. Germany and indeed the world through wasn’t ready to accept homosexual men and women as equals to their straight counterparts. Stuff like that behind close doors and out of the public eye for face dire outcomes. Given how important Krupp was to the nation I had acted to make sure his various escapades didn’t come to light. Then I read him the riot act about it and after that I told him to be more careful. I had also taken steps to make sure Bertha married a good man incase my efforts to cover up Friedrich escapades wasn’t enough and he would kill himself anyways.

One thing I was doing was making sure those in industry and science were rewarded for their efforts. Naming someone to the rank of Graf through was a mark of special importance and honor. This was because normally I would only name someone to the rank of Elder or Ritter depending on various factors. If someone did something really noteworthy maybe I would go even higher and reward them with the rank of Herr or Freiherr. Graf was special through as to date I had only rewarded a total of nine people with that rank, with the majority being key army officers from the war. A few like Mauser and Krupp were titans of industry that had been rewarded for their efforts.

“Your majesty.” Mauser said as he bowed before me.

“Its good to see you again Paul.” I spoke to a man I viewed as a friend. We were both shared a passion for small arms and it was on that passion that we had built our friendship.

“It is sir.” Paul replied. Even through we were friends’ social protocols had to be followed.

At that point we got to talking about a report filed by the infantry branch about the use of his rifle during the war. It stated that the vast majority of soldiers held their fire till they were generally around 280 meters or less with a rifle that could touch someone reliably at over 900 meters. This was paired with another test I had ordered during the war. This was to find out what was the most lethal round. This had come back as a high velocity 22 caliber rifle out of various things tested. Those rounds through had a mark drop off around the 300 meter range mark. So I was trying to set the stage where the army would adopt an assault rifle in the next ten to 15 years.

Personally, my choice would had been an AR platform firing 5.56 NATO or something close to that. I however decided against that on the grounds we didn’t have the machine tools to make an AR platform rifle at the current time. Then I thought about other sealed assault rifle platforms I knew of and I couldn’t come up with one I knew well enough to do the design work myself on. Part of me would had loved to have the FN FAL become the standard rifle of the German Army. But again, I couldn’t had afforded a FAL part kit in my past life and as such I didn’t know enough details to do it.

It was why I was basing my work of the old MAC-90 pre-import ban I had own in that life. While not sealed like I would had liked it to be, it was in theory something that could be built at the current time frame. Further if I got my 5.56 NATO like round off the ground, I would bypass the whole Kurz round dead end I knew things could go down. Further it would make German infantry even more deadly than they already were.

This would take time and I knew it. It was now a question of how much could Paul do before he died? Being the gun nerd I had been I knew in the world I had come from Paul would die in 1914. Here I was hoping he would live longer but that wasn’t something I could control. So it was more a wait and see game.

As we talked we got to talking about other nation’s efforts to build their own semi-automatic rifles to challenge the Gewehr 02. As far as we knew only three major nations weren’t working on their own designs at the moment. Those three being the Chinese, Russians, and Americans. The Chinese and Russians didn’t surprise me. Russia was finishing up their civil war that would most likely end next year. China was for lack of better terms in its warlord phase right now and simply didn’t have the industrial talent to do it. The Americans through had surprised me.

Instead of doing what everyone else were doing they had decided to double down on the bolt action rifle. I was beyond shocked they had basically did what they did in the world I had come from and straight up copy Mauser’s bolt action system and brought that into service as the Springfield 1906. The US army was really doubling down on the whole every rifleman was a marksman myth that I knew ran in US firearms culture. That however had started a series of lawsuits that Mauser was fighting for patent infringement. It had also led to John Browning pulling his pistol out of the semi-auto pistol trials the US was holding at the moment. That was going to have major side effects in the world of US small arms.

What it seems through was everyone was having to design a new round for their semi-auto trials. The French were playing with a 7.5 mm round with the British playing with something that looked like .276 Enfield to me. The Italians were playing with a host of different rounds at the moment. The Canadians had their own semi-rifle program for reasons I didn’t fully understand and they were trying it with .280 Ross a round I had never heard of before. Japan was also in the game with a 7.7 mm round. I was seriously debating about granting Japan a license for the Gewehr 02 to keep them in the game as I didn’t like what they were coming up with semi-auto designs.

Colonial Build Up Pt IX

Frederickville, German Kongo[1]
Kongo-Bahn Machine Shop
November 15 1909

The 14 and 15 year old male teenagers from one of the local orphanages where on a class field trip to the machine shop of the major railway within the German Congo that being Kongo-Bahn. This trip was being done together with the local school that these teenagers when to. The goal for them wasn’t to be sent to a university or higher education. No the goal for these students and orphans was to have them apprenticeship so once they finished their schooling they would be able to have a means to support themselves as at the same time they finish this education they would have to be leaving the orphanage.

One such student was Martin King, formally of Georgia. He was born near Atlanta 14 years ago, however he had been living in Kongo for the past three and half years. He had made the trip to the Kongo after his mother decided after his father had drunk himself to death to give him up for a better life. She herself couldn’t leave Georgia because she was heavily indebted to a wealthy landlord and had to keep working the legal slavery that was known as sharecropping. So, to give her son a better chance in life she used a pipeline to get young American Negro children out of the deep south into the orphanage system of the German African colonies.

After operating for the better part of a decade the Democratic Party that ran the Deep South was starting to learn of this pipeline. This was coming about as they were noticing there were fewer and fewer strong backs to work their land. There was also the increasing amount of post between their sharecroppers and German Africa. Then there was the slow flow of German colonial money being brought in to use to settle up debts of sharecroppers. Then these sharecroppers travelling to the German consulate in Birmingham. From there they would be found with German passports and tickets to German Africa.

Currently the full scope of this wasn’t known to the powers to be in the south. That however was rapidly changing and policies were being put in place to stop it. Banks now were charging insanely high exchange fees to turn German Colonial Money into US Dollars. Any Negro that was found with a German passport now was being lynched or worse. This had caused the German Embassy in Washington to protest this to President Wilson. These protest however had fallen on deaf ears.

Martin through didn’t know that. He was still getting and sending letters to and from his mother who he hoped to bring over once he had the money to pay for the trip along with paying off her debts to allow her to travel here. That was still a way in the future through. While far from perfect he and his other students of color were treated with respect by most people here. That was far better than the life he had lived in America. First through he had to finish his schooling along with get through whatever apprenticeship he selected. Currently the school he was enrolled at was showcasing various apprenticeships that they could take. Once they were finished with that there would be another semester of study before they would select which apprenticeships they wish to apply for. Once they selected one they would start the process of training so they could move into their apprenticeships seamlessly.

Martin’s class was a mix bunch. There was a number of American kids in this class and orphanage. There however was also Boers, Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, and even natives here. Martin had noted how the Boers he knew and indeed was friends with border on the point of being pathological in their hate of the British through. Martin knew from some of the older kids at the Boer kids when American Blacks had first shown up speaking English that it had sparked a number of fights before the Boers understood they weren’t the British. Indeed, his best friend was Boer and had been in the Kongo since 1900. He was planning to join the Schutztruppe instead of taking an apprenticeship hoping he would have a chance at fighting the British.

For Martin through he didn’t know where he was going to go as he was taking his part in these various field trips across Frederickville. While his command of German wasn’t perfect it was getting stronger by the day. That was one thing they were teaching everyone at the orphanage where Martin lived. They were all learning how to read and speak German. While they had the choice to learn Polish or Bohemian no one was taking up those choices. Instead, they were learning German.

Martin wanted to become a man of god even through he had his doubts it being the right choice for his mother. Indeed, as part of this section of the semester they had visited various houses of worship of both the Christian and Jewish faiths or each faith. He also enjoyed his lessons in the word of god which was standard for everyone in school. Only the Jewish had their own different class on the subejct. Yet Martin knew if he when that route he would never able to be afford to get his mother away from the hell that was sharecropping. Yet it was what called to him. His mind through was saying that becoming a machinist would give him the quickest route to allowing his mother to join him here in Africa.

As the tour when on Martin was taking in everything through. Through work here as a machinist would be demanding and grueling it would also be well paying. For him through everything kept coming back to getting his mother out of Georgia and into a far better life here in the Kongo.

[1] OTL Kinshasa

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVII

Birmingham, Alabama
German Consulate
December 30 1909

Major Martin Friedrich Langholz was currently performing his last few weeks of his B billet duty. He had been posted to the consulate here in Birmingham in early 1908 to command the Imperial Marine Garrison here. His orders through had already come down, he was to be relieved of the command next month. Once relieved of command he was to travel to Kiel. Once there his promotion to Oberstleutnant would take place. He would then take his place as a student at the Naval War College and start an 18-month training course there.

The German Imperial Marine Corp was a different lot than most. They were the only all volunteer service within Germany proper. That however didn’t hold true in the colonies as the Schutztruppe were also all volunteer also and they also recruited from the colonies. The standards to be an Imperial Marine through were high. The only Army formation that came close was the GardeKrop. Even with the GK being all volunteer they were still part of the army which used conscription to feel out its ranks. It was why there were only a total of five Imperial Marine Regiments as they simply didn’t have the numbers.

For every Marine enlisted they faced a challenging 15-week basic training cycle. Officer recruits faced 21 week basic training cycle. After finishing this they would be posted to the line units for 18 months of service to learn of the life of the Marines as a basic rifleman or junior officer depending. Once those 18 months were over they would go through job training depending on what career path they wanted. Langholz had when down the path of infantry, but was now being slotted over to the command path. While in in Birmingham he had perform the distance learning phase of the command path. Once in Kiel he would start the in-person command training phase.

Still even through his time in Birmingham was winding down there was still paperwork to do. It was a past time of officers no matter the branch of service. He was working on the service evaluation of one of his Marines when Feldwebel Muller knocked on his office door. “Enter.” Was all Langholz said.

Muller himself was a veteran Marine who have served in China, then the Great War. Unlike Langholz who had served on the Eastern Front, Muller had served in Africa during the war. “Sir, there is a police officer at the front gate who is wanting to speak with you and Chargé Weber about something.”

“Did he say what he wanted to talk about?”

“No sir he did not. He however had a number of angry people with him that looked like they were ready to start trouble.”

That got Langholz’s attention. “Execute Plan Bravo.”

“Aye, aye sir.” At that Muller exited the office at full speed. The German Consulate of Birmingham had an unusually large number of Imperial Marines assigned to it. The only diplomatic location that German operated at the moment that had even more Imperial Marines assigned to it was the German Embassy in Moscow. For the quality of the Imperial Marines assigned to this Consulate they were top notch Marines. This was because of what they were doing.

Langholz was one of the few here who knew the full scope of the pipeline that were moving American Negro children and sometime adults into German Africa. That pipeline through was starting to change as Germany had noticed a number of people, they had issued passports to had been lynched. Or having worse done do them before being lynched. Plans were being drawn up to have Marine escorts for them to Mobile where they were board a German flag passenger liner take them to the colonies. The first run was to take place in a few days time.

Because of what was expected to be a hostile native population, the Marines had drawn up a number of contingency plans incase the natives here got hostile. Bravo while not expecting active fighting put the Marines here on a warfooting. The dress uniforms that was the standard of the life on embassy duty were being replaced by field uniforms. Live ammunition was being issued. The three MG05s that were here were being broken out of their armory and set up for use. As were the hand grenades. Their orders were clear, the German Consulate was German territory and they were to defend it as such.

Langholz himself quickly changed into a new uniform that the Marines were testing. It was a solid green uniform with no awards on it. It had name tape on the right hand side of the upper part of the uniform that had their last name on it. Other than that, it was the same for everyone. It took only a few minutes to get changed. Once he had his field jacket on, he reached for his P02 and holster. He then it on. He didn’t know who came up with the design but the fact the pistol was attached on his tight and he could reach for it without having to move his arm much was a nice thing.

Once that was done he walked out of his office to find Chargé Weber. It only a moment to find him as it seemed that Chargé Weber had the same idea that he did. While Weber retained his suit Langholz’s trained eye noticed it wasn’t fitting as well as it would normally be fitting the man. This meant he was wearing a bullet resistance vest. Langholz had study those, while good against pistols while a rifle would simply go straight through one of those. There was a nod between those two as they started for the main gate of the consulate.

Around them they noticed that the German staff was busy with various plans. As they exited the main building they decided their plans were worth it as there were over 100 people in front of the gate. Many were armed with shotguns and rifles, though a few had pitchforks with them. There was also two uniformed police officers at the front of the crowd. Once at the gate it was Chargé Weber who spoke, “What is the meaning of this constable!” Like Langholz he knew of full details of the pipeline that was running from here to German Africa.

“You have a Nigger in that raped a white woman.” What really happened was far different. A man who had travelled here from the Alabama Black Belt had looked at a beautiful White Woman on his way here. The story however quickly took on a life of its own where it became where a white woman had been raped by a negro high on cocaine.

“Do you have the paper work to back up that charge?” Weber asked.

“I was hoping we could be civilized about this.” The officer replied.

“Civilized with this crowd?” Langholz asked rhetorically.

“This is civilized in this part of the world you Nigger lover.” The officer replied in retort. The police here were working to figure out what the Germans were up to, and they had come to view them as people who liked the negros far too much.

“No paperwork, means we aren’t handing anyone over to you. You need to leave now!” Chargé Weber replied sharply.

“I don’t think so, we want that Nigger and we are taking him.” The officer said with venom in his voice.

“Are you ready to die then officer?” Langholz asked before whistling loudly. At that a dozen of Marines all armed with G02 rifles came out of the consulate. They were carrying their rifles at the low ready, but everyone saw the Marines throw a pair of stripper clips into the rifles.

When Langholz saw his Marines deploy, “This is German territory officer. If you try to take anyone out of our consulate we will make you regret it. Now as Chargé Weber said you need to leave, and now!”

1909 Year in Review

Domestic

Court Realignment Act of 1909

With the growth of the empire via the Treaty of Vienna there was a need to readdress how the imperial court system was set up. Under this act the Imperial Supreme Court has its bench expanded by four seats to bring it up to 11 seats total. This is with the understanding three of those would be reserve seats would be for judges that come from the former areas Cisleithania.

Outside the Imperial Supreme Court seeing its bench being expanded, four new imperial appellate courts were founded along with 12 new district courts. There was also a redrawing of district and appellate jurisdiction in this set up. Like with the supreme court the lion share of the new judges would be for judges that came out of the areas that were annexed under the Treaty of Vienna.

Further two colonial appellate courts and six colonial district courts were founded under this. They would answer to the Imperial Supreme Court in Ulm if it came to that. However these courts are viewed as a warm up court system for judges along with dealing the growing legal needs of the colonies.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

None

Foreign Regions

United States

Dropping like a rock.

Britain

Its mutual at this point in time now.

France

It hit rock bottom. Then again killing or forcing out 60 to 70% of the Berber population of Algeria via the means AF was doing will have that effect on the relationship.

Italy

Stable

Russia

Ice Cold

Japan

Improving

Hungary

More or less hit rock bottom.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Pommern Class Battleships

24,600 tons standard load, 10 x 30.5 cm L/50s in Twins/Superfiring/Centerline, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 21 kts, well armored

Pommern
Schlesien

Frankfurt Class Light Cruisers

4,400 tons Standard Load, 2 x 15 cm in Single Mounts, 8 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 27 knots

Frankfurt
Wiesbaden
Olmütz
Jena
Münster
Dortmund
Essen
Diedenhofen

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

For Dona she had entered the Menopause years of her life. Wilhelm knee is roughly back to where it was prior to suffering another torn ACL again. Outside those two issues they are in as good as health as one could be in for their age.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVIII

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
January 3 1910

“That major said what?” I asked wanting to make sure I heard that correctly.

“When the cop said to Major Langholz why only 12, the Major informed the cop was that all he needed.”

At that I let out a heartily laugh having heard it again. Major Langholz had a reinforced platoon of Imperial Marines under his personal command. I had looked at the TO&E of the Marines I had there as the whole thing when sideways in Birmingham a few days ago. There were a total of 71 Marines stationed at the Birmingham Consulate. They had three heavy MG05 machine guns that were effectively light artillery with their high explosive rounds those were issued with. There was also another half dozen MG03 light machine guns. Plus, every Marine had a Gewehr 02 rifle. Then that wasn’t getting into pistols. Neither the embassy in Washington nor the consulates in Chicago or San Francisco were that heavily equipped with Marines.

It was a good thing. The lynch mob in Birmingham decided not to storm my consulate there but they weren’t allowing anyone go in or come out till they handed over the Nigger in their words that had raped a white woman. Effectively my consulate was under siege at the moment. However, with what I using that consulate for I had it designed for that from the word go. They had hard tack and other food stuffs to live out of the consulate for over a month. Water was tricky but I had bet no one would cut that off, short of war.

“I’m giving that Major a medal.” I replied to the man from the foreign office who was briefing me of what was happening. Currently we had a couple of different sources of information. The first was encoded radio messages from the consulate itself, but they weren’t that detailed given how we were encoded messages. There was a radically different line that Washington was saying. Then there were the newspapers who had dozens of different accounts. Finally, we had a member of my intelligence services who was working in American under diplomatic cover who had been outside of the consulate when shit when down. He was relaying things to the embassy in Washington via Western Union. It wasn’t idea but it was the only way to get good intel about what was going on the ground in Birmingham right now.

Currently we were speaking to the Birmingham Consulate via encoded radio messages. We didn’t have encoded machines that were good enough yet so we were using bible verses at the moment. Only instead of naming the book we were using a number in its place. So, anyone listening in it they would just hear three numbers and not have no idea what the bloody hell we were talking about. That however put limits on what we could say to each other through.

Currently we were at an impasse with that asshat Wilson. He was pushing for us to hand over that man that had been accused of rape along with all of the other 48 African Americans in the consulate to be looked into for possible crimes in his words they would only be fleeing the US if they had committed crimes. He was also trying to get us to shut down our consulate. I was refusing the latter without the former being unacceptable to me. My man in DC had asked for proof and Wilson said he didn’t need proof as they were Niggers in his words. If he allowed those 49 to travel with us then I would shut it down. The consulate had already started burning its records through.

I been thinking about this a lot through. This wasn’t a tenable position long term. Too much was influx on the geopolitical stage right now. The Ottomans passing off old and surplus weaponry to the Berbers in Algeria. Both me and the Japanese were passing weapons on to the Vietnamese right now. Further I was passing surplus captured French small arms to the rebels in Madagascar like I was doing in Vietnam just without Japanese support there. However, something would have to give soon.

Finally, I said it, “Transmit, Psalm 91 then follow up with Galatians 6:7[1].” I was going to get all of those people out there, to hell with Wilson.

The member of the Foreign Service knew his bible well and you could see the look on his face with those two bible sections I was picking from. “It will be done your majesty.” He said before he took his exit to cable the embassy in DC. Who thereby, would relay it via the merchant fleet to the Birmingham Consulate.

Once the foreign service officer was out of my office with the door shut, I slowly walked over to my desk. There I picked up a phone and dial a number to someone damn important. I only waited a single ring before someone picked up. I simply spoke, “Matthew 11:28 to 11:30[1].” I heard the person on the other end of the phone repeat it before I hung up the phone.

It was time to end my American adventures for the foreseeable future. This wasn’t sustainable, but it was time for one final roll of the dice, and I just needed to roll a hard six for it to work. My meeting with American Ambassador Walter Hines Page in a few hours was going to be fun but a key act to get this to work out in the end.

[1] I’m using the King James Version of the Bible for reference.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIX

Birmingham, Alabama
German Consulate
January 5 1910

Major Langholz had a King James Bible in his hand as he was looking for the meaning of the coded numbers that had just made it to the radio room. Once he found the right series of verses and read them out loud he just started to laugh as he already knew what the plan was going be given the last radio message had been.

Chargé Weber who was also in the radio room heard the passages quoted in the bible. It was Matthew 11:28 to 11:30. “Well then that is going to make this fun.” Was all he could say as he understood the coded meaning of the passages he had just read.

Both men knew there was a German cargo ship was currently in route to Wilmington[1]. This ship was to have been used to take 60 or so black Americans out of this backward nation before all this started. This was to have been a trial run of escorting these Americans out of the nation so they wouldn’t be lynched. This however was about to turn into something else. After thinking about it for a moment.

“How large is that custom train you have engaged for this Major?” Weber asked.

“15 cars total.” Langholz replied quickly. “By the time we get to Wilmington it will most likely be standing room only. Possibly there will be people hanging on the train by the end of it.”

They both knew that a diplomatic solution was in the works. All 49 of the black Americans that had been trapped here when this had started had since renounced their American citizenship and agreed to a six-month tour of duty in the Schutztruppe. When that piece of news hit the Americans both men in the room would had loved to seen their faces. Kaiser Wilhelm was known for fighting for the common soldier within the military and given they were all in the Schutztruppe now neither man saw them being handed over to the Americans now. It was that sticking point that was holding things up.

“Any chance you can add ten passenger cars to that Major?” Weber wondered.

“Possibly, but I doubt it. I don’t think I have enough gold to pay them off for that many sir.” It had been decided to abandon the Consulate here once they could get everyone safety to Wilmington and on to that cargo ship and out of this nation. That was how Langholz set up a special train with Seaboard Air Line Railroad. However, they were charging insanely high prices and were demanding payment once they reach the station. Langholz had used the bulk of the silver and even some of the gold reserves here to get those 15 cars and the train to take them too Wilmington.

“Work on it Major.”

“Aye, aye sir.”

[1] I’m having to recant this from Mobile to Wilmington based on future research. As I couldn’t find a major railway that had a direct railhead from Birmingham to Mobile. The best map I could find was a Seaboard Air Line Railroad map from 1916 which there is a direct link from Birmingham to Wilmington through.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXX

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
January 8 1910

“John Brown's body lies a-moldering in the grave, But his soul goes marching on.” I sang slightly off key. “The stars above in Heaven are looking kindly down.” I haven’t sung this in decades. Hell, the last time I had been drinking with a couple of other history students when I had been in my final year studying for my duel history education major at USF. Me and a few buddies had been drinking and shooting the shit about history when we ran into a couple of neo-Confederate jackasses. That had been a ‘fun’ night to say in the least. Yet there was a far different reason for me singing this song in English that turned into the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

I had always liked the Battle Hymn of the Republic as song its why I knew the history behind and along with the song that it had started life as. I had also tried a few times to find a way to work it into German culture. However, it just wouldn’t work no matter how I tried to make it work. Further it just didn’t work in German like those words worked in English. So I had stop trying and refocused my efforts elsewhere to bring some of the best of the old United States I knew to Germany to make a Reich that would stand the test of time.

As I was singing my office door open, “The stars above in Heaven are looking kindly down on the grave of old John Brown.” I finished up that verse to see who had open my door. It was my personal secretary and the whole reason I was signing that song, American Ambassador Walter Hines Page. This was a different meeting than the last few times I had meet with this man. Just now I was tired of this shit. It was why I was in my Naval Uniform.

“Ah, Ambassador Page thank you for coming to see me. I believe you know Deputy Foreign Minister von Jagow.” I said with a cheer in my choice. Turning to my personal secretary, “Hans that will be all.” I said to him.

“Yes your majesty.” Hans said as he left me and with two other people in the room. The other German was going to be my next foreign minister in a few months. My current foreign minister Wilhelm von Schoen who had been on the job since 1895 was looking to retire. Honestly if not for this whole crisis his retirement would had already been announced with him being named a Reichsgraf for services to the empire this summer. Those plans were however on hold at the moment. However, with von Schoen under the weather, it was von Jagow who was here today.

The face of Ambassador Page was one of shock and horror. “What’s the meaning of this?” He asked confused and slightly worried.

I didn’t answer directly. “I been reading up on your nation’s history Ambassador over the past few days. Its very illuminating, I must say.”

Page was something of an odd person within the Democratic Party at the moment. From the notes I had on him he wasn’t the open racist of some within the Wilson White House. Indeed, he seemed to be in favor to civil rights, well least to a degree. Others in Wilson’s White House weren’t so open to that idea and they had Wilson’s ear at the moment.

Still I kept talking, “Your War of 1812 and Civil War is most fascinating to study I must say.”

That got his attention. Currently the USN which would be its shield in any such war was in a mix state. They had 26 pre-dreadnoughts they could call on and a pair of dreadnoughts. Well semi-dreadnoughts would be a better term for the South Carolina Class as they were still powered by triple-expansion engines instead of steam turbines even if they were all big gun ships. With their first pair of dreadnoughts still fitting out at the moment and another pair being built at the moment. As for their pre-dreadnoughts, some like the USS Texas were totally out dated in their design and were kept in the reserves. More were really large coastal defense ships than proper pre-dreadnoughts with their low freeboard. Further their forces were divided between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean. My intelligence said their Atlantic Fleet were built around the 2 South Carolina Class, 5 Connecticut Class, and the 6 strong Virginia Class battleships. The Atlantic Fleet through was lacking in proper screening units. Further the few cruisers they did have weren’t all that good.

As for my own navy, 16 pre-dreadnoughts and 4 semi-dreadnoughts ready to go for capital ships. All of these through were ocean going ships instead of the low freeboard coastal battleships that the USN had with some of their ships. That was with four dreadnoughts being built at the moment. Plus, I had a couple of Russian pre-dreadnoughts that I had captured in the last war in the reserves that I could bring up to active duty if I needed to. Unlike the US through my fleet was all together in one formation and had proper scouting units. While it was a close run of things at the moment, it wasn’t enough to bet the house on and I knew it.

“What I would like is a deal to get my people, ALL of my people out the Birmingham Consulate alive and in one piece.” I knew they already had a train booked. While it wasn’t the most direct route to the coast Seaboard Air Line Railroad was the only railroad in the region that was even willing to do business with us even at an insane mark up over normal rates. “What I would like to talk about is the details of how we can do this and what will be needed to be done to get a deal done.” I said as I sat down. “Here is what I’m thinking…”

Run Through the Jungle Pt I

Birmingham, Alabama
German Consulate
January 15 1910

Major Langholz was up as dawn was rising over this city as he was enjoying a cup of coffee. Orders had come down last night that a deal had been reached between his own government and that of the United States to allow the Germans to leave the consulate and board a pair of trains that had been paid for to make the trip to Wilmington. Once at Wilmington all of the passenger of the trains would board the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm for travel to Matadi to unload all the former Americans for processing into the colonies as immigrates.

The SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was one of the newest ships of Norddeutscher Lloyd. It normally ran the New York to Hamburg run. However, given everything the Kaiser had decided the simple cargo ship that had been in the early planning stages of this operation wouldn’t have enough room. So he got in contact with Norddeutscher Lloyd to see what ship they could send to help with this. With the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm just starting its turn around phase at New York a few days ago it was selected for the run.

She was also a symbol of the booming post-war German economy. The SS Kronprinz Wilhelm had been laid down before the ink had even dried on the Treaty of Westminster and been in service for less than a year at this point. The 38,170 ton ship was known for impressive technology and comfortable no matter the class of the passenger. The technology part centered mostly around her oil-burning boilers that fed her steam turbines. On trials and her first voyage she had pushed just north of 27 knots. This had been enough to capture both the east and west bound Blue Riband award from a British passenger liner that had managed the crossings at around 25 knots. Most crossings through were done at 24 knots instead of its flank speed. Even outside its engine plants the ship was known for being at the forefront of technology. Passengers could transmit telegraphs to the land for a fee along with receive telegraphs was one area of note along with a host of other areas.

For comfortable, she was top notch again. While first and second class cabins were the standard affair one had come to expect from German passenger liners, third class drove home that she was built for comfort from the ground out. Every third class passenger had their own plate and silver wear with a limited menu to pick from for each meal. Each cabin held four beds for passengers along with having its own half of bathroom in it. Full showers were on every deck that was built for third class passengers as well. Further each third class room had central heating.

As Major Langholz watched the sun rise he was thinking about the plan they were going be executing later today. With the help the embassy in Washington DC, Seaboard Air Line Railroad had agreed to a second private train. The first private train would be the train Langholz was on. It would only have two cars attached to the engine and would only be carrying 20 marines and some of the diplomatic personal of the consulate. They would go to the next railhead and secure it. Once they radioed it was secure the second train would make the journey to this railhead.

Once both trains were in Pell City, the first train would travel on to the next railhead. Then they would rinse lather repeat till they reached Wilmington from Pell City on. It was the second train that Langholz was worried about. It had been expanded to 20 cars total now. As it was planned to allow any Black Americans that reached the train to get on to allow them transit to German Africa. German agents in the south were passing the word along to all Black Americans of this so they could run to get to the train and their freedom.

From what Langholz knew of the American south this train journey was about to cause a cluster unlike anything since Sherman Marched to the Sea during their civil war. As he watched the sun rise on this city how many people would die trying to escape to their freedom over the next few days. Once he finished his cup of coffee he put the cup on the table. He picked up the green knitted face mask that he would be wearing for this event, if any of the local whites decided to try something they would regret it. That much was clear as he picked up his rifle as he headed down to the briefing area to prep for the first part of the mission.

Run Through the Jungle Pt II

Warning: This update may be hard to stomach as its showing what is happening in the south as the Germans evac Birmingham.

Near Oxford, Alabama
January 16 1910

Kaiser Wilhelm or as he was known in this part of the world Kaiser Billy, had a plan when it came to the African American population of the deep south. As someone from the deep south Wilhelm understood that there was a sizable amount of skill African-American labor that was being paid almost next to nothing for their labor. Skill labor was always something it seemed Germany was short on. Even more so in the colonies. So, Wilhelm wanted to tap into this underpaid source of skill labor to help turn his colonies into profitable affairs. It also had the added bonus of creating a middle class within the colonies that would view Germany fondly and wish to stay apart of the empire in time.

Since the turn of the century skill African-American labor no matter the trade skill labor had been quietly migrating to German Africa. No matter the skill they were being recruited by Germans as they needed skill labor in the colonies and they didn’t care what skills they had, it was a needed skill needed. The slow flowing steam through that had been this pipeline for the better part of a decade had prior to the stand off that had formed in the German Consulate in Birmingham had turn into a raging river. This had started with the Recession of 1907 as work became harder to come by as people lacked money. Then policies of the Wilson Administration along with increasingly harsh laws passed by the states of the deep south were making it more challenging for skill African American to prosper and enter the middle class. Which prior to the 1907 Recession some had been on the verge of entering.

This flood of plumbers, carpenters, tailors, and so on was having a knock on effect on the wealthy of the south. This had been via ever rising prices they had to pay out as lack of skill workers meant those who had remained knew they could charge more as the wealthy who still had the money to spend couldn’t simply hire someone else to do the work. This had started to become an acute problem in late 1908 and had been one of things that had caused the Democratic Party to start to look on what the freak was going on.

However, the Kaiser’s plans didn’t stop at stripping away the African American skill labor that was already in the deep south. Even with the US having a Plessy v Ferguson case that made the separate but equal standard, the Kaiser understood that was a bad joke. Even in the world he came from with Brown v Board of Education that had overturn Plessy he knew schools that were majority African-American were underfunded when put up to their white counterparts. However, in the early 20th century it would even be worse than what the Kaiser had seen when he had been a teacher in the early 21st century.

With that knowledge the Kaiser had also made it a point to get it where African-American parents would give up their children and send them to German Africa for a better life. This was by putting money into building up schools and orphanages in the colony to create the promise of a better life for their children something they wouldn’t be able give them in the states. Indeed, it had been working as their had been a slow but steady rise in African-American parents who were giving up their children to live in German colonial orphanages which were better than their own orphanages in the states by a country mile. This however was much more a long-term play than short term gain. As once in German Africa they could be trained up and become skill labor just in ten years or so, maybe more.

Like with the German efforts to recruit skill labor, this was snow balling as more and more people who were stuck as sharecroppers wanted a better life for their children. This to was having an effect on the planter class in the south as it was becoming clear there were fewer strong backs to work the land. While it wasn’t at the critical levels like it was with skill labor, it was alarming enough that they had started to take actions to stop it. It was this want to stop the outflow of cheap labor that had help led to the stand off in Birmingham.

It was this stand off that had cause the plans of the Kaiser to come apart. As part of the deal to peacefully end it as Wilson didn’t want a war with Germany as no one was backing him in this, Germany agreed to stop targeting Negro workers and children for migration to German colonies. However, this was once the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm weigh anchor, meaning there was one last go to get African-Americans out of the south. And using the network built up over a decade plus, the word was getting around that this would be their last chance for the foreseeable future.

For Susan and her six-year-old daughter the reasons didn’t matter. Susan was a single mother whose daughter was the product of being raped repeatedly by the son of her employer. After giving birth she had been beaten so badly that Susan knew her daughter Mary would be the only child she would have and she was only 20 now. For the past few years she had been debating if she would send Mary to German Africa. On learning that this was ending through she decided she had to take the chance. She wanted to get Mary out of there before she would be raped by her father.

Susan knew that as a housekeeper the Germans wouldn’t really want her, but she had to take the chance just to get away from this life she was in. Two days ago, she had taken off from plantation she had lived for her whole life near Talladega to reach Oxford and the train station. She knew that they were almost to the train station which meant safety. However, the sounds of the dogs barking were closing in on them. Then Susan felt something trap her foot and the forward momentum she had been moving at caused her body to fall to the ground. The pain from her ankle was such that she knew she was in trouble.

Mary stopped and looked at her mother. “Run!” Susan said in a quiet but harsh tone.

“Momma?” Mary asked not sure what was going on with tears starting to form in her eyes as she saw bone coming out her mother’s leg.

“RUN!” Susan yelled hearing the dogs getting closer. She knew her fate was sealed with the pain from her ankle. But her daughter still had a chance. “Run to the railroad tracks baby. Momma loves you but RUN! KEEP RUNNING AND DON’T STOP FOR ANYTHING! Get to the train station!”

Mary looked at her momma then turn back and started running to the railroad tracks that were only a few hundred feet away from them. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. The sounds of the dogs were getting closer through. Once she broke through the forest and saw the railroad tracks she started running on them to the train station. She however stopped when she heard her momma scream out.

It took her a moment before she started to run again as she kept hearing her momma scream out bloody murder. The sounds of the dogs were closer than before. They were getting closer to her but she kept running like her momma said to. Then she saw a man wearing all green from head to his boots. They were the only thing that weren’t green as they were black. The man in green raised his rifle and called out in accent, “Tell the dogs to stop or I will shoot them!”

Mary didn’t know what was going on and kept running. “Last chance stop the dogs or I shoot them!”

Then a single shot rang out as Mary kept running. You could hear the sound of a dog in pain as Mary ran behind the green man. A white man looked angry as hell as Mary had turned around as she was hiding behind this green man’s legs. “You son of a bitch.” He was reaching for a pistol.

Another shot rang out. “That’s a warning. Now get lost and take that good dog with you!” The Imperial German Marine yelled out knowing that bloodhound he shot was as good as dead. He wasn’t going to allow the child behind him become a chew toy for that bloodhound it was why he had pulled the trigger. The other had stopped when he had shot the other run and was why it hadn’t been shot.

“I get you for this!” The white man yelled out as he picked up the leash of the single remaining bloodhound that would live after letting go of the grip of his pistol. He then took the leash off the dying bloodhound to take it with him as he knew that his dog was good as dead given how much blood was coming out of him.

Just as the white man started to take off three other Imperial Marines came up running having heard the pair of shots to see what happened. They all started speaking in German very quickly. Two of the Imperial Marines stayed while the third picked up the scared Mary who was still behind the one Marine who had kill the bloodhound that had been seconds from biting her.

The adrenalin in Mary was starting to wear off and she was shaking. “Come on let’s get you to the doc.” He said in accented English. This all the while they could hear a woman scream off in the distance. They however had their orders. They were to keep the train station secure so they couldn’t stop what was happening. What however had happened with the dog was within their orders.

Run Through the Jungle Pt III

Near Atlanta, GA
First German Train
January 19 1910

Major Langholz was getting ready to secure the Atlanta train station for the time they would be there till the second train of this convoy to reach Atlanta. He knew there was some time still and he wanted to speak with a pair of guests that had made it to their train. They both were reporters, American reporters from the northern part of this god forsaken nation. The younger of the two was Raymond Swing of The Indianapolis Star. The older and more respected reporter was Charles E. Russell of the New York World. They both had joined up with this train during the journey out of Alabama. Further there was another reporter with the second train. His name was Lincoln Steffens who was a reporter for The American Magazine.

“Gentlemen.” Langholz started as he sat down in one of the bench seats that was across from the reporters.

“Major.” Russell said for both of the reporters.

“We are expecting Atlanta to be rougher than past cities that you have watched us secure.” Given the size of Atlanta being one of the two major cities they were stopping in with the other being Charlotte Langholz expected there to be major problems. “I’m going to ask you to stay on the train and watch over the few kids that we have here and keep them safe as we are expecting trouble ahead.”

There were a few kids and one other adult that had joined them between Douglasville and Atlanta. With these locomotives being steam powered they had to stop about half way through their run to refill on water. It was where their few new passengers had joined them. Four of the five were children under ten. One of them were white but given how black and blue he was lucky to be alive after such a beating. The one adult they had added was a former black employee of Seaboard Air Line Railroad. He had been the one hiding the children and got them on to the train. He did the ugly work of replacing railroad ties for the railroad since the age of 16, and was now 22. He decided to take his chance when he heard of this train instead of staying in the south as the news about all the lynching were making there way around as well.

“That bad major?” Swing asked.

“Yes.” He had already opened a create of DM gas grenades that could be used to break up a crowd if they became hostile without having to kill them. Once the train started to slow down, he would order his Marines to dawn their gas masks. So far, they hadn’t had to kill anyone and he wanted to keep it that way. Sure a few dogs have been put down during this journey, but so far, his Marines hadn’t killed anyone.

Langholz didn’t understand what it was with these people and their need to have dogs that could track down and mauling people. One of the children they had on the second train had lost his leg below the knee from such an dog mauling before one of his marines killed that dog. Another had lost her arm just above the elbow. Langholz knew he needed to get those kids and a few others to a proper doctor instead of the corpsman they had. Right now through it was make do with what they had. It was why it was taking longer than expect because they only had one corpsman with them and he was being need for a host of medical help with those reaching the trains.

Both reporters just nodded. They had come to trust Major Langholz during this journey so far. He was a professional and took care to make sure everyone he was responsible for was safe as possible given everything. The German train evacuation was getting a lot of press in the northern and western parts of the nation that was different than the southern parts. It was also creating a heated debate within Congress given what reports were coming out of the south. Some northern Republicans were even going so far to call for the Posse Comitatus Act to be overturn or at least suspended to allow the Army go in and restore order in the south.

Then again no one knew the full scope of what was happening in the south right now. Not even the Germans. The Germans leaving Birmingham with a train full of “Niggers” that had all “clearly” broken the law had touched off something deeper in the south. Even more so since the south was fairly deep in the Recession of 1907. Even through over 200 children and adults have joined the Germans since they had left Birmingham on top of what they already had when this had started, far more were trying.

Right now, no one within 100 miles, possibly more, of the railroad tracks of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad could buy a bloodhound for neither love nor money. Every bloodhound was being used to track down those who were running to get to the German trains. Those found, well it wasn’t good for them. Generally, death for them was mercy by that point, even more so for the women then the men. Thousands however were being lynched in the building frenzy that wasn’t anywhere close to being done at the moment. Even those who weren’t trying to reach the train were being caught up in this frenzy and being lynched for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

As Major Langholz was about to speak, he felt the train start to slow down. That meant it was about to pull into the train station in Atlanta. “Gentlemen I wish I had more time but duty calls.”

“Major.” Both reporters replied.

At that Major Langholz got up and started walking to the forward car where the bulk of his Marines were in this train. It took a moment to get there and once there he switched back to German. “Dawn mask!” He called out. Langholz along with the 17 Marines in this car all reached into their gas mask holder and pulled out their gas mask. Once they had it they started the process of getting them on their heads.

Once their mask were on they also put their helmets on as well. With that done Langholz called out, “Oorah!”

His Marines answered him, “Oorah!”

With that they all made final checks as the train was slowing. Each Marine had been issued with a pair of DM gas grenades. They also knew their rules of engagement. If the crowd in Atlanta got out of control or looked like it would they would pull the pins and watch as they ran to get away from the gas. While the gas wouldn’t kill them, it would damn sure ruin their clothes as they threw up whatever they had ate last. The hope was it would cause them to leave instead of staying around and causing problems.

Run Through the Jungle Pt IV

SMS Gneisenau
Off the coast of Wilmington, NC
January 24 1910

Kapitän zur See Reinhard Scheer was standing on the bridge of his ship. How much longer it would be his ship he didn’t know through. He knew his ticket had been punched to flag rank and he would be promoted to Konteradmiral. It was just at the moment a question of when would the paperwork go through and when did the Kaiser’s schedule work for it. That stemmed from the flag the Kaiser wanted to personally do promotions of Kapitän zur See and above himself. If it wasn’t possible for various reasons a senior member of the royal family or colonial governor would do it. Scheer knew from when he had been promoted to Kapitän zur See that the army and marines when through the same process.

The Gneisenau was performing a good will tour through South America when orders came down to abandon that good will tour and make for Wilmington, NC at best possible speed. Sailing out of Rio the cruiser made a steady 18 knots as it was the best speed between their normal cruising speed and flank to get them there faster while not having to refuel every day. They took on fuel oil at Paramaribo, then again at Bermuda. Currently they were only making enough speed to maintain control of the ship as this location, he really didn’t want to have the large armored cruiser here through. Not in this time of year. He knew that his ship would have to return to Bermuda to refuel while escorting the passenger liner to keep the American Navy away from it.

Currently the only USN vessel that was near by was another armored cruiser. That ship was the USS Colorado ACR-7. Even through both vessels were roughly the same age, Scheer knew if it came down to a fight his ship would win. He could bring an eight main gun broadside against the Colorado’s four. While it would be a wash in the secondary armament, Scheer however knew he could maintain the range he wanted and maintain it. Unlike the Colorado his ship had turbine power plants. Plus being faster being he could decide the range or disengage if he decided to do that.

That through was only if his crew was at full strength which it wasn’t at the moment. He had detached his Marine Detachment along with some of his own crew to help manage the crowds on the beach. The Marines that were guarding the trains that were making there way to Wilmington had popped DM both in Atlanta and Charlotte. Both times as well the Marines had fixed bayonets as a last measure to keep the protesters back from their charge before the DM took effect. Both of those events had charged up the protesters here in Wilmington and his own Marines and sailors had also been forced to pop DM gas grenades to force them back today. They were also at the point of having fixed bayonets to keep them back.

It was why Scheer was worrying at the moment. His ship wasn’t at full strength and it would still be hours before the second train reached the dock yards. Then hours more to load up everyone on to the passenger ship. While he might be able to recall some of his sailors as the Marines from the first train would reinforce his own Marine Detachment he knew it wouldn’t be enough. If it came to a force of arms his damage control parties would be badly undermanned. That wasn’t counting other duty stations, but it was his damage control parties that would be the worst affective.

The navy put a lot of efforts into damage control training and preparation. It just wasn’t the damage control teams that under when damage control training. No every sailor when through a three week course before putting to sea for the first time after finishing basic training that taught them all the basics of damage control. If they couldn’t pass that course, they were beached while having a second chance being offer to those who wished to take it. The same held true for officers. It was expected every sailor be able take part in damage control efforts to save their ships.

While Scheer was thinking of how to defend both his own ship and the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm then Obermatrose Hitler a sailor who was nearing the end of his hitch with the navy came up to him. Well unless he decided to become a volunteer at this point. He saluted Scheer, “Message from the shore Captain.” With that Hitler offer the message to Scheer.

Scheer took the message while returning the salute, “Carry on Obermatrose.”

“Aye, aye sir.”

As the Obermatrose took back to his post in the radio room Scheer looked at the message. It was from his away group. The second train was now in route to Wilmington. It currently passenger count, not counting German Marines or diplomatic staff from the now close consulate in Birmingham now stood at 501 passengers. The first Marine had brought in another seven who wanted a free ride to German Africa. Then there were 93 around Wilmington itself that had made it to German lines or found a way to be inside those line prior to them forming on the docks to get on the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm.

Taking the note and putting it in his pea coat he wondered how those passengers who were trying to escape the Americans would make of his African sailors that he had on the shore. Unlike the army the navy did recruit in the colonies. Then again, the navy didn’t have a counterpart like the army did in the Schutztruppe. While there was only a total of six German African sailors of a crew of over 900 officers and men, he knew at least two had been assigned to the shore party to defend SS Kronprinz Wilhelm from the hostile white crowds.

Run Through the Jungle Pt V

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
January 31 1910

Currently I was reading a report coming from my intelligence sources within the United States of America. I would be meeting W.E.B. Du Bois in a few days to talk with him about what was currently happening within the Deep South of the United States. While the reports I had were not giving total coverage of the full scope of what was happening, the reports I had were damning. The only thing I could think of only a single event that even came close to this in either the history I knew but would never happen now and the new history I was helping create.

That event was the Long Hot Summer of 1967 and it was simply because of the scope. If it had been more focused, I might had said 1921 Tulsa, but this was all over the south. There however were a few major differences between this and the Long Hot Summer of 67. Then the scope of the violence of this and the Long Hot Summer were radically different. After what happened in Atlanta with my Marines fixing bayonets and popping gas told me things would be bad, but this was on a different level than what I had been expecting. What I had been expecting would had been bad, but I was way off on what I had been expecting.

When the Marines in Atlanta had popped gas it took a few minutes for the DM kicked in was akin to lighting a match in a room of gas vapors. While I would like to be using something other besides DM gas grenades, nothing else was even ready for field trials. However, once the effects of the DM hit the lynch mob at the Atlanta train station for a lack of better words left the area quickly. They however were pissed in the aftermath and wanted to make someone feel their wrath. So, they marched on the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta and burnt it to the ground. Anyone African-American they found was lynched. There were even rumors going around that hadn’t been confirmed so far that they didn’t have enough rope so they simply broke both legs and arms of people they were going to lynch then left them to be killed by the fire that burnt Sweet Auburn to the ground. No one had a good count on how many people died in that riot at the moment. I was pegging in at least the hundreds, possibly low thousand territory. Then again I don’t think anyone would have an answer for this.

My intelligence agency however was reporting a large number of lynchings across the south. If I had to guess it numbered in the thousands, possibly the tens of thousands that been lynched since this had started. Yet what was worrying to me was the fact that the Tuskegee Institute had also been burnt to the ground. My intelligence agency had attempted to evacuate Booker T Washington only for Washington to refuse my offer. He paid for that mistake with his life. He was lynched when he tried to calm now the mob that had come together to burn the Tuskegee Institute down. At other historical black colleges and universities I knew of were also dealing with this. The one that hit close to home was on learning the school that would go on to become Bethune–Cookman University had been burnt down as well. While I haven’t gone to BCU, I had friends from the other world that did.

So far at least nine black universities had been burnt down between Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi. It was possibly higher at this point but nine had been confirmed in six states. All I could think was dear god, why were they doing this? Even with all the faults in the American education system I always held that higher education places should be respected. This just honestly made me want to cry seeing what happened here. While it wasn’t the burning of Library of Alexandria bad, this was still a sad time.

This was playing hell in the United States through. The North and Pacific Coast were both going what the fuck to the South to put it brunt about it. While both were racist in their own ways this massive unleash of violence against blacks was something neither understood and wanted to stop. There was a growing calls for the Posse Comitatus Act to be thrown out and the army sent in to restore the peace in the south. The problem was the south would never all the Posse Comitatus Act to be overturned. My thought was that was part of the Compromise of 1877, but I would never be able to prove it.

While I kept going over the notes I had someone knocked on my door. “Enter.” I said while I kept working with the reports I had.

At that my personal secretary entered, “Sir, the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm has docked in the Kongo.”

I looked up from the notes that were on my desk, “That’s good news.” I replied thankful this bout with the US was ending. There would be ripple effects for a while to come, but I hoped I would be able to manage them.

“Indeed it is sir.” He replied. A total of 619 had taken the chance for a better life in my colonies than staying in America. Of the children four of them had been mauled by dogs with three of them having lost their limbs because of those dog maulings. Another nine children were clearly victims of child abuse. Even two of the white kids that had ran away from home to take their chances here in Africa. Then there were the adults that been mauled by dogs. It was just depressing to think about it at times.

“That’s all Hans.” I said to get him to relieve the room.

“Yes sir.” Before Hans exited the room.

Once he was out I put my notes down and lean backed in my chair and said a quiet pray for those who made it and those who didn’t. I knew there was far more of the latter than the former. How many more through wouldn’t be answered for a long time to come through.

Run Through the Jungle Pt VI

Frederickville, German Kongo
Archangel Michael Orphanage
June 19 1910

Martin King and other orphans assigned to this orphanage were returning from a day of learning at the summer school program. Unlike in Germany, the schools within the colonies had a summer term to help them get caught up on their studies. This was mainly stemmed from the fact most of them had started later than students did in Germany. As such they were behind in their studies when put up to their German student counterparts back in Germany. So, the goal was to get them to catch up to a point that would allow them to learn a trade so they could make it once they finished their schooling and were no longer wards of the state.

For Martin and others in his grade they were facing a turning point in their school paths. As within a week’s time they would be picking their path for an apprenticeship. Martin himself had decided a few weeks ago that he would take an apprenticeship that would allow him to become a machinist. They were always in demand here and paid very well. It was money he was hoping to use to bring his mother over to the Kongo and help her escape the hells that was the American south.

When Martin reached his bunk, he noticed a letter was on it. It was postmarked Atlanta from April this year. He started to grin as it would be a letter from his mother. It had been a while since he heard from her and he had been worried about her safety. He quickly picked up the letter only noticed the letter wasn’t in his mother’s own hand. That made in nervous as he along with all the other students here in the orphanage knew of the violence that had swept through the American south in January and petering out in February. With his hand that was shacking he opened up the letter. Once the letter was in his hand Martin started to read it. He then dropped the letter part way through it while his legs gave way. Tears flooded out of his eyes in a deep soul breaking cry.

This got the other students to rush over to see what had happened. Martin was generally well liked and none of the other students wanted to see him like this. Martin was in the fetal position as tears just pour out of him as the pain hit him. His fellow students couldn’t see to get him to move. Once of them took off to get an adult who was here. Another however picked up the letter and the other piece of paper that had been in the letter that Martin had open. This student could read English.

He read it out loud by mistake, “Death certificate for Delia King.” That only caused Martin to cry even harder than before. That student known what he had just done, “Martin I’m so sorry.”

Unknown to any of the students there some of the remaining African-American pastors that had escaped alive from the hell that swept through the Deep South in Atlanta had been tasked by the governor of the state to help with this kind of job. So many children of people who had died in the violence where now in German Africa it was taking time to figure out who had died and where their next of kin could be reached. This was a public relations effort by the southern states to make a return to normal. This was even through normal would be impossible to reach again given everything that happened. That was the public facing anyways. Unofficially it would help the powers to be in the south figure how bad the violence of January and February hurt their pool of insanely cheap labor.

For Delia King the cause of death was officially listed as heat stroke. The true cause through was anything but heat stroke. Unlike others Delia hadn’t taken the chance to run in an effort to reach the Last Chance Train as it was known. She had reasoned that in her son did well in the Kongo she would still be able to leave the United States with his support and money. She didn’t count on the hell storm that came. She just was at the wrong place at the wrong time when a lynch mob found her. The last few hours of her life were pure hell before it finally ended with a noose around her neck.

When an adult of the orphanage reached the boys’ dorm and saw Martin crying on the floor he asked “What happened?”

That was in the teenage who picked up the letter handed it to the adult. Given the mount of orphans here that could speak and read English this adult had took it on himself to learn English to make his life easier. He read it before letting out with a single word, “Scheiße.”

It took a few more moments before he kneeled down next to Martin, “Come on Martin, lets get off the floor.” Still it took a few minutes before Martin was able to move again. Once Martin was off the floor the adult started to take him to see the pastor to get his help.

<*>

June 26 1910

Martin had just walked into the office where he would be selecting his future. Much had changed within the past week for him as he had come to grips with the fact his mother was now dead. This had also affected how he would go forward in his life. His goals had changed as he could no longer save his mother which had affected everything he had done since reaching the Kongo. Now he lived for a different reason.

Once seated the orphanage’s guidance counselor started off with some small talk. Once that was done they got to the meat and potatoes of why Martin was here today. He asked Martin which apprenticeship wanted to apply for. Martin was straight to the point, “The Schutztruppe Officer Candidate Apprenticeship.” The Schutztruppe Officer Candidate Apprenticeship was designed to guide those who wished to serve within the Schutztruppe to be ready to start the process of becoming an officer once they were of age. The apprenticeship was also designed to weed out those who wouldn’t hack it and hopefully get them into other apprenticeships before it was too late.

Martin wanted revenge for what happened to his mother and the Schutztruppe was the best path to allow him to gain it. That got the guidance counselor to look up from the paper work in shock. As part of his job he got to know these orphans over the past year to better guide them to an apprenticeship that would help them. Prior to this, Martin had given no hint that he wanted to join the Schutztruppe Officer Candidate path. Only a few had and they had been mostly Boers who wanted revenge on the British. Martin through hadn’t been expected to go this way.

“Are you sure Mister King?” Even through they were speaking German, the counselor used the English version of his last name.

“It’s Koenig now. Martin Koenig.”

To Control the Seas? Is that even Possible? Pt I

Stettin
German Naval Base
July 30 1910

While I never cared for travel by sea, yet I understood how important it was to a host of things. The one I really cared about the most was the huge factor seaborne trade played in the economy. While Germany under my guidance had grown by leaps and bounds, we couldn’t escape how important seaborne trade was. It also why I was here today. The master of the sea for over the last century and would be the master of the sea for the foreseeable future would be the British. They were growing increasingly hostile to my empire. While they were far from the only nation that had issues with my empire, they were the closest and most clear and present danger to what I had created over the last 30 plus years of my life.

Most of this stemmed from the fact I was now a direct threat to them from their point of view. That was because I had the ability to command Europe in their mind. With the war time gains, absorbing the bulk of Cisleithania, to the personal union with the Grand Duchy of the Baltic European Germany was simply massive. The latest figures I saw had my empire in Europe alone around 88 to 89 million people. The economy currently is vibrant and growing. Unemployment was not at pre-war levels but it was still hovering around full employment of 5%. Then there was the German colonial empire which was also massive and picking economic steam in most places.

All this through was dependent on the ability to trade around the world via the sea. The ability to command control of the seas was what had cost Germany both World Wars. There was no way to get around the fact, to lose control of the seas was to lose the war. Alfred Thayer Mahan and Julian Corbett while disagreeing about finer points were both right on that point. The problem however was there was simply no way in hell Germany would ever out build the British. If America ever made up its mind to fund its navy, I wouldn’t be able to outbuild them either. This was a major problem I had been working to overcome once I figure out that sooner or latter, I would have to face both them in a war.

While I would had liked to keep the United States out of any future war against me, I had never viewed that as a possibly. Simply put there was on cold fact that told me that. During World War One there hadn’t been a single pro-Central Power within the United States Government. Not a one. Then there was the corporate oligarchy of America that willed massive power within the US. They viewed my economic power as a threat to their profits. They would help find a reason to enter the war against me the next time there was a war.

This left me working to come up with a strategy that would allow me to win the war on the seas so I could win the war overall. Risk theory, fleet in being, Mahanian, and so on would never work for Germany. The French during the last war had proven that Jeune École was just a bad idea. While it did get a victory or two it was nowhere enough to turn the tide of the war on the seas. Commerce raiding while it had promise wasn’t something I was willing to push all in on. Even through I had taken efforts to weaken the US, there was still the possibly the Americans could come up with their Liberty Ship printing press like they had in World War II in the world I knew. If they did that I would be stuffed and I knew it.

It was a problem that I had been working with Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff to solve. What we were going for would be a cross between commerce raiding and a Fabian strategy along with just simply having better ships than what the British had. It was why I was here today. I had just signed a new naval law that would grow the German Navy to fit what Holtzendorff and I, along with his staff had been working on for the last few years. It would be a massive increase in funding, ships, and manpower, but it was at this point what choice did we have?

Admiral von Holtzendorff was leading me through the models of the ships that had been approved to be built this year. While we were building a new battlecruiser this year our 35 cm L/45 program wasn’t ready for this ship. Those most likely would be going on the next class of battleships through. The star of this year’s building program was a new class of cruisers through meant for the colonies. True they were a proof of concept of the idea, but if it worked would force the British and Americans to make some hard choices to give me the room I needed to operate on the high seas.

“The Schwerer Kreuzer A shall be able to out fight anything that is rated below them and out run anything that can kill them.” Admiral von Holtzendorff said as he was showing me the model of these new cruisers.

“Was there no way to get turrets ready for this design?” I asked. I didn’t like the fact it had an old school from my point of view cruiser armament lay out.

“No sir. While the design teams tried to rush it, they felt that trying to build a turret for the 17 cm L/50s we are using would had been nothing but problems.” Admiral von Holtzendorff replied to my answer.

When designing these it was decided why go for massively overpowered guns? The goal of these were to defeat British Town Class cruisers and the variants of that class. A 17 cm high velocity guns based on our math would be more than enough to defeat them. The question we now had though how would the British react once they knew what the hell we were building.

Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt I

Paris
Palais de l'Élysée
September 3 1910

Prime Minister Charles Maurras was deep in thought at the moment. He knew the work of rebuilding the Kingdom of France to glory was a multiple generation effort. The rot in his beloved France was deep. His lifetime job was to repair the foundations of France to allow future generations to finish the job. One area he was working hard on improving was the economy of France. Currently after years of decline the economy was improving which was nothing but good news for Maurras. The French economy however would take decades at best before her weight would truly matter on the world stage again. Maurras knew from the studies he had commissioned his nation’s economic power was on par with the Italians and they were barely a great power. It was why he knew his work was repairing the foundations of France as with that kind of economic power trying to fix anything else at this point was folly.

It was all about economics and Maurras knew it. While armed forces were critical to the foreign policy goals of the kingdom, it was the economics that allowed greater and better armed forces to be fielded. With the damage done to France between the Franco-Prussian War and the Great War, it would take a major effort at rebuilding the economy of France to match the beasts of economies that were the enemies of France; the English and the Germans.

With the Germans passing their naval law this year it was all but clear to anyone that wanted to see it that the next war would be fought between the two foes of the Kingdom. There were also other laws being passed by the Germans that made it clear they understood this as well. While the English were the historical rival of the French people, it was the Germans that had dethroned the French people as the envy of Europe. Maurras wanted to right that wrong. He however understood how weak the French nation was. His own army had made it clear based on what they had seen in the last war, they wouldn’t be able to stop the Germans no matter what. Further it would be a long time before they would have the ability to do so. While the French Army still needed further work, under his Deputy Secretary of War Philippe Pétain, Maurras knew the dead wood was gone. That’s why he trusted his army’s opinion on this.

The British were sending out feelers to him and France. His intelligence services however were also telling him the British were doing the same thing in many European capitals at the moment. He knew what the British were doing, they were shopping for allies. He saw this same play in the Napoleonic Wars. The British were looking for lack of better words meat shields to allow their navy to cripple the economy of the Germans to the point they are forced to give up. France couldn’t survive such a war. That kind of war, like the one the British were planning would most likely destroy France as a nation.

It was why Maurras when to such extreme measures in Algeria. France needed room to grow and built up its economic power as it couldn’t do it in Europe. The army was now in the process of putting down the revolts in Madagascar and Vietnam now. The reason he could afford the army taking on both of those revolts where he had the army solely focused on Algeria was because of the measures being taken there. While the GSR was taking care of the few remaining pockets in Algeria, it had largely been pacified by the spring of this year. That allowed the army to redeploy to both Madagascar and Vietnam.

He never had plans to take the same actions in either colony like he had in Algeria; at least this time. They were too distance to try and weld on to France at the current time unlike Algeria. He understood that future rebellions would take place in both colonies unless he took the actions of Algeria there, there wasn’t enough Frenchmen and women to take the place of the natives there and to the same in Algeria. Algeria was the test case to see if his plan would work. This was because unless he removed the root in whole the rebellions would return in time.

Maurras however had to find a way to answer the British so he wouldn’t offended them but they would also walk away with empty baskets. If the English and Germans were going to fight each other than Maurras would allow them to fight then wait for the right moment to strike for the greatest gain for the Kingdom. He wasn’t about to allow anyone to use his nation as a meat shield.

There was a reason why Maurras understood he would never live to see his work finished. There was simply far too much to do in one lifetime.

Tech Growth Part XVI

Warsaw
Gauss Society Lab; Warsaw Lab
October 16 1910

Looking at the labs that had been built for her Doctor Maria Curie was in awe at what she was seeing. The labs had been built by the Gauss Society as part of an agreement between the Nobel laureate and the Gauss Society to get her to perform research for them. It wasn’t the first time that the Gauss Society had tried to recruit Maria this time through she had agreed to work for them.

For Maria her life had been forever changed in the final weeks of the war. In effort to feed the ever-increasing need for manpower, her husband Pierre had been conscripted into the French Army in Spring of 1905. Even through they would write each other when they could Maria never understood Pierre’s letters. Then again half of them were missing because of wartime censorship. Unknown to Maria at the time, Pierre had died in the final German led offensive against the French Army in the war.

In Paris after Pierre had been conscripted Maria had tried to carry on with their research along with care for their two daughters. With every passing day the fate of the war became more dire than the day before. By the summer food prices had started to spike. There was also an increasing number of people fleeing the Germans in Paris. Then in the final offensive that had killed her husband the Germans had encircled Paris. There was the fear that the Germans would level Paris in their efforts to take the city. Further food had started to become hard to find within the city. Maria had been robbed twice during the siege and aftermath from people looking to feed themselves.

Even with that she had stayed in Paris till learning of the fate of her husband. After that and with the increasing amount of Antisemitism in France, Maria left Paris. At first, she travelled to the United States before moving to Oxford in England in 1907. She had hoped that she would be able to teach at Oxford but they had refused. Needing money to support her two daughters she took to tutoring students again to make sure her daughters had a roof over their head and food in their belly.

It was soon after she had started tutoring students again to paid for food and rent, did the Gauss Society contact her again. It was the third time they had offer to fund her research, but it was the first time they had made an offer after the war. She was conflicted by the offer itself. The Germans had killed her husband. They were also the reason she had been robbed and forced to leave Paris for her and her children’s safety. They however were offering her something she longed to return to do, research. Still, she hadn’t accepted the offer that night it had been made. Instead of refusing like she had the other two times they had made this offer she asked for time to think. The man making the offer agreed to and let Maria know how to get in contact with him.

Over a month later Maria decided to accept their offer but on her terms. To her surprise they accepted her terms without question. This was that she was to do her research in Poland as she made it clear she would never live in Germany. She would not live in the nation that caused her husband to die. She also wanted to be able recruit Polish scientists to help her in her research. She wanted her own labs to perform her research. Finally, she wanted her daughter’s education to be paid for by the Gauss Society.

Her return to Poland in 1908 had caused mixed feelings within Maria. While she was thankful to see the rebirth of the Polish Kingdom; it was a puppet of those who had killed her husband along them still holding a part of Poland itself. She however been greeted warmly by King Jan and his wife. Even more surprising of the party they hosted on her return was the fact Jan could speak passable Polish.

In the years since her return to Poland Maria had been performing her research out of Warsaw Polytechnic. This lasted for two years while the Gauss Society built labs for Maria and the small team she had built up over the past two years. While she hadn’t been allowed to teach at Warsaw Polytechnic many of students wanted to talk to her and learn from her. It was from these meetings that she had picked those who would help her with her research into radioactivity. She hoped in the years to come that her and her team would achieve a number of breakthroughs here.

Domestic Issues Pt IV

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
November 28 1910

I looked at Dona as we were both reading up on the elections that had taken part yesterday. I had dissolved the Reichstag and Bundesrat a little over eight weeks ago as it was time to hold fresh empire-wide elections. This was the first time since the Treaty of Vienna that we were having an empire-wide run-off elections or elections in general. True we had new elections when the various new states joined the empire in the aftermath of the breakup of Austria-Hungary. When Luxembourg had joined the empire an when Lithuania had moved to being a member state from an imperial territory. This through was the first time that elections were being held across the empire.

Very few members of the Reichstag were elected in the first round as it was a pain in the ass to achieved the needed 50% plus one vote threshold needed to keep from having a run off election. While I had briefly thought about doing rank choice voting or proportional system, I decided Germany wasn’t ready for that and when to a run off system. This was because I had seen the dangers of plurality voting. Dona thought a proportional system might work but I wasn’t betting the house on a might work. I however agreed with Dona that in the future that a proportional system would be the way to go. That however most likely would be after I was pushing up daisies through. This wasn’t the time or place to try for a new constitution, not even 25 years after the 1893 constitution.

Dona who really took the lead on most domestic issues as I was more a military and foreign policy wonk than a domestic one, “The SPD will be in the minority this time around.” Dona said looking at the incoming results. After the Treaty of Vienna the SPD had to rework its coalition to maintain its control of the Reichstag. They helped to pass some critical legislation over the past year. Granted getting them to pass the new Naval Law was a pain in the ass, but I think the SPD when along with finally as they saw the public wanted it and was a good way to help them maintain power. They however had been wrong.

“So, a coalition of NP and Centre then?” I asked as I was looking at the areas still outstanding and I couldn’t see them being enough to give the SPD control of the Reichstag again. Then again, we would know for sure by noon today.

“Possibly, I’m not sure through.” Dona replied.

There was a brief silence between us. Then I finally spoke up, “Was it a mistake to push for the SPD to pass the anti-discrimination laws?” That was a cover term for laws that were designed to help Jewish people within Germany. This had come after Vienna Mayor Karl Lueger when a little too hard on the Antisemitic stuff last year. Even through Lueger had died a few months ago just as I was signing these bills, it might had been the reason the SPD and their allies lost this election.

“No, we needed to nip the Antisemitic in the former Cisleithania before it got out of control. Even more so with what is going on in Hungary right now.” Dona replied. “Beside I think was more the push to get the new farming act out of the SPD that did them in.”

While the new laws that would help shield the Jewish people from discrimination were important, the Farm Act of 1910 was just as important or even more important in my opinion. The Farm Act would perform a massive reorganization of agricultural sector the economy within Germany. One of the things that had been clear from the war that had been fought was the British would use a blockade as a weapon. With Germany still needing to import food to feed itself this was a massive weakness that had to be taken into account and had to be fixed.

To achieve the ability to export food the SPD, Dona, and I had worked with experts in the field of agriculture to achieve our goal of achieving food independence. While import would still be a thing as there were foods that Germans wanted that couldn’t be grown here, this was designed to give Germany the ability to feed herself in the event of another war. It didn’t come out and say it in the laws but that was the reasoning behind it.

Dona thought about it, “Still given how both NP and Centre had shifted over the past 20 years or so I believe we can work with them.”

“I hope you are right.”

1910 Year in Review

Domestic

Anti-discrimination Act of 1910

This act was passed in response to Karl Lueger and a few others getting a little too out there on the Antisemitic stuff. Under this law it became illegal to discriminate against someone on religious or ethnic grounds in all acts of business. Its also now illegal to enticement people to violence. If you are found guilty of enticement you can be facing the same around of time in prison as the person who committed the violent crime.

Farm Act of 1910

This is a major overhaul of the German agriculture sector of the economy. I really don’t know enough to write out the details of this, but the goal is to allow Germany to feed herself and end the need of massive food imports to feed herself.

Naval Law of 1910

The Naval Law of 1910 is simply massive in scope and totally upended the 1907 Naval Law. Below is a list of major warships to be built under this law, but not all at once. They are spread out over a decade of time or in some cases two decades to reach the numbers listed below. Pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers will be entering the reserve fleet as newer dreadnoughts and battlecruisers enter the fleet. This law doesn’t however say anything on the coastal defense ships, but its generally accepted the ones currently in service have been passed by advancing tech and naval architecture and are slated to be decommissioned in the near future and placed in the reserve fleet.

Within this law sees the birth of the Heavy Cruiser, even through in the law they are called colonial cruisers even through everyone in the navy has taken to calling them heavy cruisers. Unlike other ships here, the first batch will be operated for a few years to learn lessons how to improve the idea of these ships. Remaining protected cruisers in service are to be derated and become school or barrack ships.

There are a number of smaller craft covered under this law, but not outline below. Things like minesweepers, gunboats, torpedo boats, support ships, etc are here but for my own sanity I’m not covering them in the same level of detail as seen the listed ships below. The same goes for the riverine squadrons on the Danube and Mur. They are there, but I’m listing the details of those ships/boats as I’m already deep into the weeds as it is. I’m not getting deeper.

On the submarine a coastal submarine is viewed as something that is designed to operate within the North Sea or Baltic Sea. The ocean going submarines are designed to operate in the oceans of the world from various bases.

Also cover in this law is improving of coastal defenses in both Germany itself along with the colonies. Base improvements to handle the number of ships planned under this law. There is also funding put aside for increase levels of hydrographic surveying. It also sees funding to very merchant companies so their merchants can act as armed merchant raiders in the event of war.

38 Dreadnoughts, 20 year replacement cycle

12 Battlecruisers, 18 year replacement cycle

18 Heavy Cruisers, 15 year replacement cycle

36 Light Cruisers, 15 year replacement cycle

120 Destroyers, 15 year replacement cycle

48 Ocean Going Submarines, 15 year replacement cycle

60 Coastal Submarines, 15 year replacement cycle

Changes Within Government Personal

Gottlieb von Jagow became the Foreign Minsiter of Germany on the retirement of Wilhelm von Schoen.

Newly Signed Treaties

American-German Agreement

There is a reason why this is an agreement and not a treaty. No United States Senate would ever approve such a treaty. So, its more of a gentlemen’s agreement instead of something that was inked on paper. It was also the agreement that got the Kaiser’s Last Chance Train as history will know it approved to ride the rails and end things mostly peacefully.

Under this agreement the German Empire agreed to officially stop its efforts at recruiting African-Americans to move to its colonies. Further it would shut down the consulate in Birmingham. In return the United States Government would take actions needed to stop any and all reprisals against those living in the United States of German heritage.

How effective this agreement can be debated till the cows come home through. Even through the German government has officially stopped its efforts to recruit African-Americans to the colonies, now German companies that are operating in the colonies have taken over said effort. They however operate a much more tailored missioned aimed at finding the remaining skill labor in the remaining African-American population as that’s what is in critically short supply within the colonies. They however don’t want unskilled labor as they have all of that they could possibly want. It however depends on the company in question if they will move whole families or not. And yes, there had been reprisals against German Americans who had settled in the south. Nothing on the orders of the massive lynchings seen against African Americans in the aftermath of the Kaiser’s Last Chance Train through.

That said Germany oddly enough opened up a new consulate in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico at the end of the year.

German-Romanian Economic Treaty

The title of this treaty while true its also misleading. Under this treaty Bucharest will see a massive investment of German money to improve their economy. This includes a total modernization of the oil fields at Ploiești along with a newly built refinery for that oil. Plus, a modernization of the railroad network in the Kingdom of Romania.

However, there is a secret part of the treaty. This is a defensive alliance treaty between Berlin and Bucharest. It also sees Romania agree to the STANAG agreement that Kaiser is pushing to ease logistics in the event of another war.

Foreign Regions

United States

Its hit rock bottom.

Britain

Its Naval Arms Race Time.

France

Slightly, and I do mean slightly improved.

Italy

Stable

Russia

Ice Cold

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

Break out the pick axes, we are going lower.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Goeben Class Battlecruiser

28,600 tons standard load, 9 x 30.5 cm L/50s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts

Goeben

Bonn Class Heavy Cruisers

8,000 tons Standard Load, 7 x 17 cm L/50 in Single Turrets, 8.8 cm Secondaries, Cruiser Armor/KCA, 30 knots

2 Ordered

Z-61 Class Destroyers

1,050 ton Standard Load, 3 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 36 kts

12 Ordered

U-10 Class Coastal Submarine

505 tons surfaced, 640 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 5.0 cm deck gun, 13 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged,

6 Ordered

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Dona is still suffering through the hell known as Menopause. Other than that, given Wilhelm’s knee is made of glass everything is going as well as it can be.

Naval Matters Pt III

London
Admiralty Building
January 5 1911

First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher knew his time in command of the Royal Navy was coming to an end. He would be turning 70 years old in a few weeks, and it would be by law his forced retirement. Ever since learning of the German Naval Law that had been passed last year he wished that he would have more time in command of the Royal Navy. This was going to be fun to remind the Germans that the British were the master of the seas and that you had to bend the knee to the British Empire.

As for their former foes the Russians and French, they really hadn’t mounted a naval building program yet. The French had scrapped the battleships and armored cruisers that they had laid down prior to the war but never finished. The only thing of note the French Navy had done since the war building wise was to lay down four 500 ton destroyers last year. Signs were pointing they might be ordering some submarines in the near future, but nothing had happened as of yet. The Russians had done even less with their navy then the French have. Outside placing an order in American yards for some submarines they had built nothing of note.

Both were still in the process of reorganizing their navies through from what Fisher knew. Well, he only had what his intelligence services were saying that about the French. The Russians he knew that was the case as the former foes were moving to become allies. However because of domestic political reasons the Russians had ordered their subs from American instead of British yards. While he wished the Russians would be a little more restrained with the way they were talking diplomatically about some nations, they were a needed ally at the moment. Fischer like others knew the British didn’t have the army to go toe to toe with the Germans. And with the Germans thinking they were the masters of Europe they needed allies in Europe. They however were honest with the British with what they were trying to do with their navy at the moment.

That left only four nations left able to build battleships, not five like some claimed. From what his staff had said no matter what the Hungarians said, the slipways in Fiume weren’t up to the task of building battleships yet. They could be made ready but it would take time and money to Vickers to get those slips up to snuff. The four nations they had to watch at the moment were the United States, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Fisher knew that the Foreign Office was putting an effort on both Rome and Tokyo to get them both in the British Camp. Tokyo through had repeatedly said they were worry about what was coming out of Moscow. Which was making it harder to get Tokyo on their side but Fisher still had faith in the foreign office to do it.

With the US they were starting to pull themselves out the depression they were in. With the whole dust with Germany over the Negros Fisher couldn’t see the Americans siding with the Germans in any future war. That possibly would leave Germany by itself as the Swedish were returning to neutral position in Scandinavia. Well it would leave the Germans with Poland and Georgia. Which amounted to nothing.

The Royal Navy had learned some hard lessons from the last war. The submarine in coastal areas could be a threat to even the largest of ships. HMS Resolution had found that out the hard way when a single torpedo had sunk the battleship during the blockade of France early in the war. Other actions had made it clear as well that the days of the close blockade were over, they would have to perform a more distance blockade.

Germany on the other hand had a large shipbuilding industry. Its merchant fleet was second only to the British merchant fleet even if its navy had been small when put up against the massive Royal Navy. Intelligence had pointed out where the Germans had at least six capital ship slipways, with two more being built. While on the large side what the Germans did with their navy was somewhat odd. They had already let it be known what they were building this year. Indeed, they had ordered four battleships, but of the most odd design.

These ships were large coming in at around 32,500 tons standard displacement. Armament through was as if the Germans weren’t confident in the trousers department. They were mounting 16 30.5 L/55 guns in four quad turrets in superfiring positions fore and aft. They were retaining the casemate batteries of the early German dreadnoughts through. Still Fisher wonder how much armor these things were carrying with their top speed believed to be 21 knots as the Germans said that was classified. Or were they just that poorly designed that a British design ship could do the job far better Fisher wondered. [1]

While these new German dreadnoughts would massively out displace the next class of British battleship, they would have the edge. Fisher had stayed in service just long enough to see the birth of the super dreadnought. The Agincourt Class would carry 10 of the new 13.5 inch L/45s. Unlike other British dreadnoughts the new Agincourt super dreadnought would have an all centerline battery for its main armament. This is while retaining its turbine power plants. Unlike the Germans through they would be using twin turrets instead of these new fangle quad turrets the Germans were going to. Maybe it was something to look into through. They were also taking in lessons from the war into their design with them having a torpedo defense system being in place to keep a repeat of HMS Resolution from happening. And just to drive home the point that the British own the waves they were ordering six Agincourt Class super dreadnoughts.

[1] This is what the Germans are officially saying. What these ships are something different even if the displacement is mostly honest.

Inter-German Map

Hi all!

Here is a map that I started working on when the war finished up ITTL. Sadly due to work commitments I haven't had time to finish up, but I figure it is worth posting even though it is unfinished. Hopefully it will give you guys a good idea of what Germany looks like.

There are a few minor internal changes that have happened since the end of the war:

-A number of tiny enclaves have been exchanged/purchased between the different states.
-The two Mecklenburg's have decided to merge on the same basis as the Saxon Confederation.
-All remaining Prussian enclaves inside the Saxon Confederation have been ceded to Dresden's control.
-The Hansiatic cities have undergone a rationalisation with territory exchanges and city border reforms. This is largely the same as in OTL.

-Also worth noting the capital of Lithuania is the northern half of Vilnius, with the southern portion of the city being controlled by Poland.

Hope you enjoy seeing the Germany Jim Smitty has created.

AIB Germany Internal Reform by Samuel-Von-Strasburg on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

Tech Growth Part XVII

Berlin
Research Hospital
February 16 1911

For longest time I had publicly maintained the belief that it was smoking that shorten the life of Frederick IV of the German Empire. Dona had supported me in this belief. We however had the problem was where was the proof of our belief? Still our anti-smoking beliefs had affected Germany to a degree from what I could tell. While tobacco sells had slightly decreased, as we knew this from import information, the biggest thing with tobacco here had never really taken off within Germany. That was cigarettes, which were starting to see booming sells in other nations. Instead, tobacco was still almost totally smoked via pipe or cigar here in Germany. Today with the research paper being published today I was hoping to cut back both pipe and cigar smoking to make Germany a healthier nation.

In the effort to get the proof that it had been smoking that caused the cancer that led to the death of my “father” I had requested the Gauss Society to look into the matter. Given I sat on the board of directors for the Gauss Society and was the Kaiser of Germany, that request was more of an order through. Then again, one thing people failed to understand from what I had seen was you got farer with a drop of honey than a drop vinegar. It was like the study I had asked for about Cannabis, through that study was still being worked on.

This study was fairly large in scope having started in 1900. This study had used both laboratory mouses and humans to gain the research needed to published this paper Eugen Fischer. He was one of a number of doctors with bright futures ahead of them that worked on this project and I hoped their work would reduce the number of people smoking of tobacco within the empire. Possibly this could even lead to the Reichstag voting to put a sin tax on tobacco to help reduce how much tobacco was smoked within the empire.

For some reason through the name Eugen Fischer ring a bell within my memory. However, I couldn’t place it for some reason. Dona had the same thing, the name sounded familiar but she couldn’t place it either. Given the time frame and whole Eugenics were still around at the moment, both Dona and I had leaned to Fischer having something to do with that whole mess. We however weren’t sure about that. Instead that was more a hunch as why his name sounded familiar to the both of us but we couldn’t place him. In the here and now through from what I seen of Fischer the man had nothing to do with the Eugenic movement. He was a research doctor within the Gauss Society who was becoming a specialist in cancer research.

As for the Eugenic movement, I was doing my damndest to strangle that movement so it wouldn’t become a problem down the road. It was like the Antisemitism movement; I was trying to make it clear that there wasn’t a place for either within MY Germany. If I was lucky, it might even end both of those awful movements elsewhere. However, given what I was seeing coming out of Russia, Hungary, and to a lesser degree France, I doubt it. I however had hoped that even after I was gone, that both movements wouldn’t be a problem for Germany.

The press was here today. With something like this I wanted to perform a presser to get this being talked about within Germany. I knew the weight my words carried within the empire and to a degree across the world. “Gentlemen.” I started, “For a long time I had maintained that it was my father’s habits with tobacco that brought about his untimely death. Today is the day I prove that my beliefs on this was right. Doctor Fischer and his team over a decade of study had shown that smoking tobacco has a direct link with cancer.” I started off this presser.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXX

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
March 31 1911

Portugal while still currently a kingdom, I didn’t know how much longer they would remain as such. The nation was once again on the brink of bankruptcy with growing discontent within the population of the Kingdom about its economic woes. What gains the government had made with their spoils of war had been pissed away with either corruption or just plain stupidity. Maybe it was a mix of both. I didn’t know for sure through. What I did know through was Portugal needed an influx of cash and debt relief to keep their economy from entering free fall. Portugal was basically a ticking time bomb with the Great War putting a reset on the clock of that time bomb.

That said through they did have something I wanted. It wasn’t skilled workers. There simply wasn’t much industry to speak of within Portugal at the moment. What little there was amounted to a guy with some old machine tools in a shed. Just add a few other sheds into the mix. With what I was building in the colonies that wouldn’t work. Even more so with groundbreaking on an arsenal in Frederickville earlier this year. That kind of old school master craftsman with outdated gear and techniques would hurt and not help with my goals in the colonies. Even in Germany they wouldn’t know how to help the factories that needed skilled machinist as their equipment and technique was that old and outdated.

What Portugal did have that I wanted was land in Africa. While Portuguese Angola or Mozambique would be nice adds to my colonial holdings, I knew it would be insulting to the Portuguese to even make an offer for those colonies. Further the British would do everything in their bloody power to nix such a treaty by offering up more money and debt relief than what I was offering the Portuguese for those colonies. No what I wanted much smaller and to a degree they were both already economically in my sphere of influence. These were the Cabinda enclave and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Cabinda held a metric ton of untapped crude oil, which would be a nice resource to have in time. Currently through it was exporting hardwood and agriculture. It also was running in the red at the moment for the Portuguese. Further it would allow give me another port to used for Mittelafrika exports. São Tomé and Príncipe on the other hand was almost totally agriculture based in its economy, but it was turning a profit unlike Cabinda. The reason for those islands through weren’t economy. No, the reason I wanted those islands was strategic.

In any future war with the British the Gulf of Guinea was going to be a major battlefield. Togoland was all but indefensible against anything but a stiff breeze. If the British hadn’t taken Dahomey it might had been possible to hold out with enough coastal artillery with a mobile land force, but with the British having a land border to invade over, I wasn’t holding it in a war and I knew it. I however had much more faith in holding my Mittelafrika colonies. With some luck I should have a second corp formed in that region by the end of the decade as there was a growing number of trained personal within the Schutztruppe to fill out such a unit.

What São Tomé and Príncipe would give me was a forward air field to operate recon and strike missions from. Well once aircraft tech reached that point. Currently aircraft were good only in a limited scouting role at the moment. That would be on top serving as a rally point for prizes and raiders operating off the African coast. Well prizes in the first couple of months, maybe a year if I was lucky. Plus, it would allow a secure coastal convoy system in that part of Africa for my own ships. That was on top of it being a profitable colony in its own right.

Given that São Tomé and Príncipe was turning a profit, I had given the Portuguese three different offers to choose from. One was for both São Tomé and Príncipe and Cabinda. Then the other two were each colony by themselves. Each offer was a mix of debt relief and a fat stack of cash. If that would be enough to save Lisbon from its faults? I didn’t know and frankly didn’t care. For me this was about building a Reich that could stand the test of time.

As I was thinking about how I would go forward on some armament choices through there was a knock at the door. “Enter.” I said while still looking over the choices before me. This was mostly on the work being done by Theodor Bergmann with his understudy Hugo Schmeisser. While I had handed off an AK pattern design to Paul Mauser I wasn’t beyond admitting someone might had something better than what I did. What Bergmann with Schmeisser had needed a lot of work but it also had promised. My choice was to give them the funding needed to build up what to me looked like a roller delay blowback system or not. The question was would Bergmann’s ideas beat Mauser’s work on the AK I gave him? I didn’t know. But I was leaning to it was worth a shot to fund them and see what they came up with.

My personal secretary entered, “Sir the Portuguese Ambassador is here to see you.”

“One moment Hans.” I picked up the papers I had been reading over and put them into my desk. “You can send them in now.”

A habit of mine was to keep some personal from the foreign office here so they could set in on these meetings. This was my way to keep them from saying later that I said something else and it became a case of he said she said. Nope I didn’t want that.

It took a moment for both men to enter my office. Once the greetings were done it was the Portuguese Ambassador who opened this. “My government is grateful for your offer. We however will not sale São Tomé and Príncipe to any nation. Your offer through for Cabinda is most integrating and we would like to go forward with negotiation on this.”

Well damn I thought. Still getting Cabinda would be a nice boon in time. “Very well then what wasn’t satisfactory with my offer?” I asked wondering what else they could possibly want. For Cabinda I had offer to forgive 65 million marks worth of debt held by my nation along with another 30 million marks in cash for the place. What else could they want?

Perfidious Albion Pt I

Melbourne, Australia
Jones’ House
May 5 1911

Matt Jones was currently reading the evening paper in his study as he was waiting for his father-in-law. After the Great War, Matt once again mustered out of the army and returned to the civilian world. This time he just had even more of an alphabet soup behind his last name. He was one of only two people within the whole of the empire who had been awarded the Military Cross along with the Military Medal. His Military Cross had come for actions during the hell that had been the Battle of Harbin. He still had visual memories from that fight. Like the scar on his face from where some Russian had tried to tickle him with his bayonet. He in turn had stuck his own knife into the neck of that Russian. Another was a few feet from him now in a desk door. That was the Nagant Revolver he had taken in the fighting in Harbin in the fight that led to him being awarded his Military Cross.

His service in the war had cost him the chance to stand in the last election for a seat in the Victorian Legislative Council. Sine mustering out of the service through with the help of his father-in-law, he had given a commission within the Victoria Police as an Inspector in charge of the morality squad. Since taking on the job he had been making a name for himself in fighting vice within Victoria.

Looking at the future, things were looking good for him and his growing family. Margaret was once against pregnant with another of their children. This would be number three, and Matt was hoping for at least one more, if not two more before the doctors told him to knock it off. He was also looking at resigning his commission within the Victoria Police to stand in the next election for a seat within the Victorian Legislative Council. Which he hoped would then turn into a stepping stone to a federal parliament seat down the road. The latter was based on hints his father-in-law had given him over the past few months.

As he waited for his father-in-law who was a member of the VLC, he was reading up on the international news. It seemed that the British had brought two small Portuguese colonies in Africa. It didn’t make much sense to Matt why the British would buy either Cabinda or São Tomé and Príncipe from the Portuguese. Heck he had to break out his atlas to see where these colonies were. He expected there was a lot more going on here than there was in the piece he was reading about.

Indeed, there was a lot more than what was being reported on in the newspapers. The British had learned of the German efforts to buy Cabinda and São Tomé and Príncipe from the Portuguese. To them the Germans having any more colonies no matter how small was unacceptable to them. Even more so with the German habit of turning colonies into profitable affairs. So, they had simply occupied both then back dated the check they cut to the Portuguese to make it look like they had bought both of them instead of taking them and it being fait accompli.

Once he had finished reading that Matt turn to about the ongoing troubles in China. China had been a mess of various warlord factions all claiming to be the legal government of China. Matt knew that all to well. A few weeks ago, he had busted a brothel who’s working girls were all from China. Matt however had missed some key details on the bust. Those details were easy to miss through. The girls he had arrested in that bust had agreed to this as a means to pay for a ticket out of China. It was their escape from China even it meant life as a sex worker. Instead Matt was in the process of getting them ship back to the hell that was known as China. It was also part of a larger human trafficking ring that was shipping Chinese women and sometime girls to work in brothels. Yes it sucked but it was still better than staying in China through.

As he was reading the piece of China through Matt heard the door to his study open, and when he looked up he saw his father-in-law. “Hello Dad.” Matt said as he put his paper down to shake his father-in-law’s hand.

Taking Matt’s hand, “Its good to see you do Matt.”

“Please take a seat.” Matt said as he made gestures for his father-in-law to take a seat.

Given that it was this man that had given his position within life Matt allowed him to take the lead. Taking it Matt’s father-in-law started this off, “Matt have you been following the debate of the Universal Service Act that is going Canberra?”

In the nation of 4.5 million the Australian Army had a total strength of just under 1,000 officers and men. Like with Great Britain the navy was the senior service and had taken priority. It was for that reason and others that the Australians had order a single battlecruiser of the Lion Class[1] back in 1909. While it was still being built it was clear that Canberra was engaged in building up the Navy. The army through was an afterthought at the moment. The current Army was more a force to take the various militias and during them into something that would stand up on a battlefield.

“I have.” Matt said not sure where this is going.

“My contacts in Canberra had informed that this is going to become law in the near future. What I have come to offer you is a commission as a Leftenant right now, then a promotion to captain once you finished your training at the School of Musketry in Great Britain. When you return here you will be placed in charged of marksmanship training of our soldiers.”

“Wow, um, I don’t know what to say dad.” Matt knew that this act passing would change things. This act was part of the wider Kitchener Empire Defense Scheme. The whole of that scheme was still mostly secret at the moment but things like this were know to be link to it. Under this law all able body men in Australia would undergo a six month training people to learn the basics of military life so when an another war came the army could better expand and far more rapidly than it had in the Great War.

“I know this is not what you were expecting Matt. Its however important and I hope you accept this offer.” Matt knew from the tone he was expected to accept this offer.

[1] Something along the lines of the OTL Indefatigable Class.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXI

Chicago
German Consulate
June 16 1911

Third Secretary Konstantin von Neurath looked at line of people that had already formed waiting to come inside. The length of the line told him that it was going to be another long day for him and the staff of the consulate. Then again that had become the norm here and he didn’t expect that to change anytime soon. With a pair of Imperial Marines flanking him, Konstantin unlocked the door that was being used for this to start the day.

In the wake of clusterfuck for a lack of a better word of what happened in Birmingham, all of the German diplomatic missions had been reinforced with more Imperial Marines. None of the missions had reached the numbers of Imperial Marines that had been stationed at Birmingham through. Still the Imperial Marine strength had gone from 12 to 24 and it was looking to stay that way for the foreseeable future. The consulate in San Francisco now had 36 Marines which made it the most heavily guarded German diplomatic mission in the US at the moment. Then again, the new consulate in Monterrey was being guarded by 60 Imperial Marines, many of them veterans of what happened in Birmingham. Mexico had for lack of a better word fallen into a civil war.

With the door unlocked and open people started to file in to start the process of filling out paperwork. At that Konstantin started back to his desk to start his day. This long day for Konstantin and the rest of the diplomatic staff here in Chicago had been brought by two things. The first was there was still lingering anti-German/Polish violence within the United States. This was mostly located in the Deep South. It had been to the point that the German and Polish Foreign Offices put out a travel advisory for their citizens about it. That had brought about protest from President Wilson. To which Kaiser Wilhelm had diplomatically told him to pound sand. King Jan had been less diplomatic about it.

The second reason was the passage of the new law within Germany. It was commonly known as the Law of Return. Under this law, anyone of “German” descent could return to the Empire. This however included Poles from Posen, Czechs from Bohemia, Slovenes from Carniola, and so on was covered in this law. The way the wording of the law when the staff at the Chicago Consulate had also decided to include those of ethnic German origin but where not from areas under the control of the Empire.

With that view they were also giving visas to people who were ethnic Germans but hailed from either Hungary or Russia. Well generally as there was always the odd ball in the mix. It however was people of ethnic German birth but have been born or their parents had been born in Hungary or Russia that were taking up this chance to migrate to Germany.

Even through the Law of Return would allow of ethnic German origins return the vast majority of the people taking the law up on what it was offering were either person who had migrated to the United States and first generation German-Americans. There were a limited number of second generation German-Americans taking the offer up but they were generally to well adopted to make the trip back to the Empire.

For the Polish through, that didn’t hold true. Unlike Germany which had only past this law a few months ago, the Polish had this law on the books basically since the formation of their new kingdom. While the German Empire was helping to build up the economy of the Kingdom of Poland, King Jan wanted to make it clear to his subjects that he wasn’t just a German puppet. He was taking steps to make that clear to his people. One area he was really pushing that home was in his defense spending as he was trying to build up a large army to defend the Kingdom of Poland. Then there were times he would be less than diplomatic than some in Berlin wanted, like he had been with the US over its protest of the travel advisory. It however was playing well with the Polish people.

Money Makes the World Go Round Pt V

Weihaiwei, German Colonial City
Seaside Warehouse
July 26 1911

Hauptmann Martin Padovaner had been assigned to China late last year and reported for his duty earlier this year. He had brought his family with him to the smaller of the two German colonial towns on the Shandong Peninsula. Indeed, it was a growing family as Anna had given birth to their third child earlier this year. Hans was their first boy with Gisele being a honeymoon baby and Ingrid had been one of the post war baby boom generation. Anna was one of only a few Black Colonial Germans here in Weihaiwei. They however all were wives of Schutztruppe officers. There children through were more common.

Martin was part of a common trend within the Schutztruppe officer corp; notably in the junior officer ranks at the moment. While there were paths for natives to become officers within the Schutztruppe the overwhelming majority of the officers were in the Schutztruppe had been born in Europe as only a small handful of natives have climbed the ranks to be officers. While some of the middle level and all of the senior officers came for rapid advancement in their career, junior officers were a different lot and joined the Schutztruppe for a host of different reasons. Yet the vast majority of the junior officers within the Schutztruppe it seems had taken to marrying native women given they were being assigned to the colonies for at least a decade.

Further another common trend with the junior officers were having large families. Then again that was something of a trend within Germany as a whole at the moment. For the junior officers of the Schutztruppe it seemed that three to four children were the norm. Those officers who were married that had fewer children were either one of a few things. Either they were newly married or were dealing with a medical reason to why they couldn’t have kids. Indeed, for Martin and Anna they were already talking about a fourth even through they just had their third.

In the wake of the Great War and Treaty of Vienna had left the German Empire flushed with firearms and artillery. This came from it being either captured on the field of battle, inherited from the now dead Austro-Hungarian Empire, or had been brought via overseas sources during the war. It however was all a mix match of different designs using different calibers. The Kaiser along with his top generals were pushing for ease of logistics had caused a number of different paths for this gear.

The reserve was still largely equipped with the Gewehr 89 at the moment. Although they were finally getting their first units to be equipped with the game changing Gewehr 02. The Schutztruppe were starting to see their first issue of Gewehr 89s at the same time. These were replacing captured French Berthier rifles that had been modernized and Germanized. This modernization process had seen the French 8 mm barrels replaced with 7 mm Mauser barrels. It also saw the end of the 3 round Mannlicher clip loading system. Instead, the magazine was rework to hold five rounds and feed from a standard stripper clip that fed the rounds into the new magazine system.

It wasn’t just French Berthier rifles that under when the modernization and Germanization of there designs. This also happened with Russian Mosin-Nagants and Austro-Hungarian Mannlichers. Other rifles that had been captured such as French Lebels and Gras, Russian Berdans, Austro-Hungarian Kropatscheks, and others it had decided that they were so hopelessly outdated that they weren’t were the cost of a modernization and Germanization of other rifles. So they packed up after being coated with cosmoline and put into storage.

The same held for true for a lot weapons. If it had been decided those weapons were worth it, they were modernization as best they could be. They would also be Germanized to ease logistics as they would at least being used the same ammo at other units. If it wasn’t worth the headache of going through the process, they were put into long term storage. That said some of those weapons didn’t stay there for long. A number of Lebel rifles that had been in German Storage just happen to find their way into the hands of Vietnamese and Malagasy rebel hands. Along with other weapons that couldn’t be directly traced back to Germany.

Even with that support the Germans still have a massive stack of weapons that they simply no longer wanted. While some of it was being surplus and sold on the civilian market, they had so much that if they surplus all they currently were setting on it they would destroy the surplus firearms market for a decade at least and hurt their domestic firearms makers as there would be so many cheap firearms on the market that no one would buy new firearms. Instead, there were other markets they could dump this stuff off on and get well paid for their troubles. Stuff that had been modernized and Germanized were being kept in storage and not sold off or surplus. These stockpiles were becoming break glass in event of war stockpiles of weapons.

Currently there were two on going civil wars within the war. The older of the two was here in China. Since the collapse of the Imperial system there had been a host of warlords all claiming to be the legitimate Chinese government. All of the warlords through respected the various foreign enclaves within China. Even through they all claimed those enclaves as part of China they weren’t stupid. They knew what happened the last time they picked a fight with the Europeans. They weren’t united and they know they would get destroyed if they tried to.

The more recent civil war had started in Mexico. That had started off as a revolt against the ageing Porfirio Díaz who refused to step down after the 1910 elections in that nation. Things had splinter in that nation with the Federal Military all deciding it was time to take care of various grudges that had long been held but kept in check by Díaz. It soon became a free-for-all with everyone buying to control Mexico City and become the next president of Mexico.

For Hauptmann Martin Padovaner officially he had been assigned to command one of the artillery batteries in the forts defending Weihaiwei. Indeed, that took up the majority of his time. Yet he had an unofficial job as well. Given the broken nature of the Chinese government it was almost impossible to directly deal with anyone in their territory. So, a host of nations were using their enclaves as a front point to funnel weapons into China. Padovaner had been assigned with his specialized background to be one of those point men as officially all nations agreed not to do this even through everyone did.

Currently Padovaner was speaking with a general officer from the Chekiang Province. “As you requested General. 25,000 Lebel Rifles, 5,000 Winchester Rifles, 2,000 Reichsrevolvers, 500 Puteaux APX Machine Gun, and 20 Reffye 75 mm cannon. This comes with the ammo amounts you requested.” Padovaner said in German. Then his translator spoke. It carried on like such.

On the artillery front German high command had decided if the barrel was made out of bronze or steel-bronze would be sold off to either nations like China. If they were more modern designs they would either be sold or given allied nations to beef up their artillery forces. The Chinese general simply nodded as he was inspecting the creates of weapons. He knew his army would soon go on the offensive against the Chianghsi Province and it would need the weapons. Once he decided that the German was good at his word for what he had stated was here he spoke to his aid quickly.

Then he spoke to the German officer again, “As agreed. Your payment will be here in a moment.”

Padovaner nodded as his reply.

About five minutes later two Chinese soldiers came in carrying to two large creates. The Chinese general then when over to them and unlocked them. “Your payment, Hauptmann.”

Once Padovaner was at the two chest he reached into his pocket and pulled out a jeweler magnifying glass. He then picked up one of the pearls in the chest and inspect it. He did that a few more times making sure they were real pearls. Then he put the jeweler magnifying glass pack in his pocket and moved over to the other chest and looked at the bars of silver. He did a quick count they were all there. He just had to weigh up both chests to make sure all of silver and pearls were there.

“General if you me and my team a few minutes to make sure everything is in order than you have your equipment.”

“Go ahead Hauptmann.” The Chinese general said with a hint of a tone he wasn’t happy about this. The Germans unlike other people selling arms to the Chinese would only accept hard money or gemstone payments. Everyone else would accept other resources for payment instead of hard money or gemstones, but not the Germans. However, the Germans were also the only one who could have weapons here within weeks of placing an order instead of same time the year after. Plus they were the only ones not charging an arm, leg, and your first born son prices for artillery. They were simply charging an arm.

Padovaner didn’t say anything as his own men took the chest to weight them up. Simply put the Kaiser wanted to suck as much hard money and gemstones out of China for crap they would otherwise would be selling off for pfennings as scrap medal in Germany or its colonies. The hard money and gemstones would be used in various infrastructure projects, funding research, or the ongoing naval arms race that Germany had sparked with the British.

Magyar Problems Pt I

Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary
Public Square
September 5 1911

Since Hungary had gained its independence via the Treaty of Vienna not much had changed for the better for the common citizen. While those in Budapest were working to get its rail network all to the same gauge to improve its economy, not much else of note has happened. At least when it came to the common people of the nation. Granted Budapest had taken out British loans to build up its own arms industry centered in Budapest and improve its ports and yards at Fiume; those and other actions really didn’t affect the common people of the nation.

Then there were the awful effects of Magyarization on the none ethnic Magyar people of the nation. Instead of focusing on getting their lack luster economy going the focus of Budapest had been speeding up the Magyarization of the non-Magyars of their kingdom. The spark of unrest came from a newly passed law that had only been signed into law just over a week ago. This law had easily cleared both the House of Representatives and the House of Magnates. Both chambers were horribly gerrymander to make sure that Magyars had the majority in both houses. Under this law all non-Hungarian newspapers had to be shutter or start operating in Hungarian. The members of both chambers from Croatia-Slavonia tried to keep Croatian newspapers operating but they failed. If any group could had done it would been Croatia-Slavonia but they failed.

None of the non-Magyar ethnic groups had taken well to this or news that those in Budapest were pushing to make Hungarian the only legal language of the Kingdom. This had caused massive protest and strikes across the kingdom. Some through were just migrating to other nations as they had little hope that Budapest would ever give a shit about them.

Here in Temesvár the protest had turned into a riot. Then again, the line between protesting and rioting was a thin one that could easily fade away. Because of the riots Budapest had declared a state of emergency and had ordered the army to restore order here in Temesvár and the other cities that riots had broken out in.

The thing with the Royal Hungarian Army it had been built off the core of the old Austro-Hungarian Royal Hungarian Honvéd. While there was still the presence of former Common Army elements within the Royal Hungarian Army, it Honvéd that took over the glamorous billet. These being the infantry, cavalry, and field artillery. These billets were only filled with Magyars as Budapest didn’t trust the non-Magyars at the moment. That would change once they had been Magyarization through. Still Magyarization needed to help these uncivilized people of the kingdom.

Still, you couldn’t build an army worthy of a great power solely on the population of Magyars within the Kingdom. There was a reason why the glamorous billets of infantry, cavalry, and field artillery were opened only to Magyars. It allowed the non-glamor billets such as supply, signals, and others be filled out by the lesser people of the kingdom. It also meant Budapest could trust their combat arms to do stuff like this.

The men of the 21st Infantry Regiment had marched on Temesvár. They had bayonets fixed to their Mannlicher rifles. The goal was to drive the rioters off the streets and back into their homes and houses. Thereby restoring order to Temesvár. The only problem was the rioters in Temesvár decided to fight back.

After the first few rocks and bottles were thrown the 21st Infantry Regiment opened fire on the rioting crowd before them.

Magyar Problems Pt II

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
September 15 1911

As the British Ambassador to my empire left, I held my tongue till I was damn sure he was out earshot. Once he was finally outside earshot, I finally let it out, “Cheeky Bastard.” I said in English.

When I made the deal with the Hungarians to peacefully and quickly divide the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I honestly didn’t give them long for this world with their current borders. I knew giving them all of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen was the same thing as letting them drink from the poisoned chalice. Far too many non-Hungarians in those lands for the Hungarians to ever assimilate them given how I knew they would be so damn ham-fisted about their efforts of assimilation.

Under the idea I had Germany would had taken all of the Burgenland, Preßburg, and Sankt Veit am Flaum. Slovakia would been broken off as its own nation as would had Croatia. Both with German kings on the thrones in both nations. Well maybe an Italian royal in Croatia to throw the Italians a bone. Romania would had taken all of Transylvania and Banat with Banat possibly becoming an autonomous region of Romania. Bosnia would return to the Ottoman Empire but as an autonomous region of their empire. Italy, Poland, and Serbia both would get small cut outs of Hungary as well but what I hadn’t decided on yet. Italy might not get anything through it they decided to take Croatia as their puppet. This would been followed by the only thing I knew for damn sure would keep the peace in the region. Force population transfers akin to what happened in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1921. So long as there were Hungarians in those regions the Hungarians would never accept those borders and I knew it. Hell, I knew this would mean a war with Hungary as they would never accept this either.

War with the Hungarians didn’t scare me. Based on what my intelligence had told me that the Hungarian Army had piss pour logistics and signals. Their combat arms were good units they had nothing supporting them. We were decoding all Hungarian Army and Naval radio traffic in real time at the current moment. This was because we had copies of their codebooks that they were using plus a number of field manuals on the subjects. With those field manuals being published since the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their counter-intelligence operations and informational security was a joke.

I however did fear a war with the British at this time. Work on reforming the agriculture sector of the economy was still on going and we were still depended on food imports even through that was decreasing. The British could still blockade me and we didn’t have a good answer for that at the moment. Then they could strike at my long term goals of folding the colonies into the Empire. Even if that would happen after my moral coil was finished, it was still a goal I wanted my empire to reach.

“The British learned from Vienna.” Foreign Secretary Gottlieb von Jagow stated switching back to German.

“Indeed, they had.” I replied.

The British had moved the 9th Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet to Sankt Veit am Flaum. This was a “port call” as the British ambassador informed me of the visit. I knew that was a bold face lie when it had been uttered. Thanks to the real time radio decrypts I knew that the British Battleships were shelling areas of the city that were held by the rioters. They were letting loose with 12 inch high explosive shells against rioters! There were also unconfirmed reports of British Marines being put ashore to help the Hungarian Forces.

In this meeting with the British ambassador, I had also been surprised. There was now a treaty of alliance between London and Budapest. That had surprised me given how deep my intelligence agency had been able to reach into the very heart of the Hungarian military and government I figure this would been known to me. Either this had been a very closely guarded secret by the Hungarians or the British rushed to get this treaty signed to keep an alliance of the willing take their knives out and cut off pieces of Hungary.

Between the British having battleships shelling rioters and this new treaty of alliance with Hungary it would force me to rethink things in how to move forward. However, my public relations section was going to have a bloody field day with this. The treaty of alliance between my empire and the British Empire had lapsed in 1910. Even through it wasn’t renewed it hadn’t been cancelled till the aftermath of the failed attempt to buy Portuguese colonies. There however was still lingering good feelings about the British within the public. I knew this would kill that.

“What direction to you want to take this now sir?” Jagow asked me.

“Let’s see if we can force the Hungarians to overturn their new laws that started this mess. It’s the best I got at the moment short of a war. Unless you have your own idea?” I replied.

Colonial Build Up Pt X

Haikou, German Hainan
Hundertmark Household
November 29 1911

“Daddy!” The cry came from two of his three children. Customs Officer Wilhelm Hundertmark kneeled down at the front door as both his son Karl was the oldest and was the first to reach him. Karl was currently six and was going to be seven fairly shortly. He felt another impact and that was from his daughter Mia. She was one of the babies that had been born in the aftermath of victory in the Great War. She had just turned four and would be starting school in the spring. The third of his children through wasn’t here to greet him. Gisela was 18 months old at this point and given the time of day she was already down for the evening.

Letting go of his two children that were still moving at this time of night he saw his wife waiting for him with a smile on his face. She had Germanize her name shortly before they had married. Ilse was Hlai by birth, but slowly she was becoming more German with every passing day. It was something that was common for native women who were marrying German males, to take a German given name before they marry. They would also had generally but not always have learn at least enough German to be conversational in the tongue. While there were the rare natives who had learned Polish or even rarer ones who had learn Czech, the majority had learned German.

Standing up Wilhelm noticed something about his wife, “Ilse are you?” She was glowing.

“Yes.” She simply replied.

Wilhelm rushed over to his wife to kiss her with the joy of the news she was pregnant once again. It had been over a week since he had been home as he along with other customs officers had been sent to Sanya to deal with a human trafficking ring that had been uncovered there and busted up. It was why the kids were so happy to see their father as it had been over a week since they had seen him.

Karl saw what his parents were doing, “Yuck.” Was what he said. Mia was simply sticking out her tongue as her parents were engaged in a soulful kiss.

At that both Wilhelm and Ilse stop their kiss and started laughing as he briefly thought about the road that had led them to this moment.

Unlike others within the Strafbataillons Wilhelm had been discharged from service fairly shortly after the war ended. This was because he had already served once before. Returning to Haikou was a mix blessing for him through. He finally got to meet Karl for the first time Instead of only see him in the photos that Ilse had sent to him. When he however returned to Hainan Linien to see about getting his old job back, they told him that they didn’t had any openings. Given the pay of the Strafbataillons even at his rank of gefreiter wasn’t great, most of the money he had been making had been going back home to support his wife and son. Without a job he would not be able to support himself never mind his wife and child.

Soon after learning the news that he couldn’t return to work at Hainan Linien he met a friend at a bar for drinks. It was Fritz’s treat as he knew that Wilhelm had fallen on hard times. They had both met up in the Strafbataillons service during the China War. Fritz’s had caught his then wife in bed with another man. While he didn’t kill the man his bed, he did beat him within centimeter of his life through.

Over beer the two caught up. Unlike Wilhelm Fritz hadn’t been called up to serve in the Strafbataillons again. This was because he had been hired on a customs officer here in Haikou and had been waved from further service in the Strafbatailons because of his job. Prior to the assault that put him in jail, Fritz had been a security guard at a bank following his service in the army. He had liked the work and wanted to get back into that line of work now that he had clemency in hand. With the expanding colonial office in need of skill personal they hired Fritz on as a customs officer.

It was this night over drinks that Wilhelm had ended up on the path of becoming a customs officer. Soon after that night Fritz had talked to his commanding officer. That started the ball rolling to Wilhelm being accepted into the customs service as a trainee officer. It was also the last place he ever expected to ended up working at, but it paid well and was a steady job. Plus if he did at least 20 years of service he would have a lifetime pension.

Given how late it was Wilhelm looked at his kids, “Come here and hug your parents. Its time for you guys to go to bed.” Given there was only two bedrooms in the house the kids were having to share a bedroom, but it was still a good life for them.

“Ah can we stay up longer?” Karl asked hoping to spend some time with his dad tonight.

“No, its time for bed.” Wilhelm said with a tone that both his kids knew it was time for bed. With that tone both of his children that were right there came to their parents and hugged them before heading off to bed.

Once the hug ended the two children ran off to their shared bedroom. Ilse looked at her husband, “If I know you would been here tonight, I would cook something extra for you.”

“Its ok dear. I had dinner on the train coming back from Sanya.”

Ilse looked in her husbands’ eyes, “There are some letters for you on your desk.”

“I check them out before joining you for the nightcap.” Wilhelm said with a grin.

“I look forward to it.” Ilse replied with the same grin on her face.

At that Wilhelm walked the few meters from where they had been standing to his desk. Once there he pulled out a key and opened the one lock door on his desk and placed his Smith & Wesson Model 10 Revolver into it before he locked it up. The revolver had been brought during the Great War by the German Army chambered in 9 mm Parabellum. Once the war was over it had been decided to take the foreign made revolvers and issue them to customs and other imperial law enforcement agencies and replace the old black powder revolvers that were in service there. This was to allow the reserves and Schutztruppe took priority getting fully equipped with semi-automatic pistols.

With his service revolver locked up Wilhelm started going through the mail that was on his desk. There was also the evening paper up there. The front page was talking about the aftermath of the failed revolt in Hungary. It had been a bloody mess. How this didn’t spark a war Wilhelm didn’t know but he was thankful that the Kaiser had achieved the deal he did. He however didn’t have time to read the paper and got to the mail. The first letter was from a cousin back in Germany. He wondered what this was about as he opened the letter.

1911 Year in Review

Domestic

Tobacco Act of 1911

This law does two things and is largely based off the research performed by the Gauss Society into the effects of smoking Tobacco on one’s health. The first is it made it illegal to sell tobacco products of any type to anyone under the age of 16 within the Empire. The second is it creates a sin tax on the sell of each cigarette within empire.

Currency Act of 1911

This is another law dealing with the German Empire taking over the bulk of Cisleithania via the Treaty of Vienna. This law sets the date of January 1 1913 for the point that the Austro-Hungarian Krone would end its status as legal tender within the German Empire. At that point the Austro-Hungarian Krone would be demonetization within the Empire.

Law of Return Act

This law allows anyone of “German” descent return to the empire with no questions asked save for a few things. Even then there is only one hard no in this section. As to “German” descent its basically a catch all for anyone who’s ethnic group is in the empire at the moment. In some cases its more you can prove your forebarers came from areas within the Empire.

Currently there is only one hard no on anyone applying to return to Germany under this law. This group are people who had been found guilty of felonies either in Germany or in the nation they are currently in. For those who left Germany to get out performing public duties, i.e. get out conscription, it is possible to return if you pay a fine of 150 Marks and perform a year of alternative imperial service. Or if you are unable to pay a fine of 150 marks, you can still return but you would have to serve two years in alternative imperial services. After that you are getting into the weeds of the bill.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

The Budapest Accords

These accords were design to end the riots and restore order to Hungary in the aftermath of Hungary ordering all non-Hungarian print to shut down and the riots caused by this law.

Under this agreement Hungary agreed to repealed this law and allow non-Hungarian print press to say open within their nation. Further it gives a general amnesty to all rioters within Hungary. Through 1915 Budapest will allow unlimited migration visas to those who wish to leave the Kingdom of Hungary. Prior to this Budapest had limited the number of migration visas. Also under this agreement those who are leaving Hungary may sale any land they hold to the Hungarian government at full pre-1911 riot prices.

Foreign Regions

United States

It’s a slightly improved.

Britain

We got to be near rock bottom, aren’t we?

France

Its slightly improved.

Italy

Stable

Russia

Ice Cold

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

Screw the pick axes, break out the tunnel boring machines! We are going to the core of the earth things are getting that bad.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Schleswig-Holstein Class Battleships

32,500 tons standard load, 12 x 35 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA*

Schleswig-Holstein
Böhmen
Nassau
Rheinland

Düsseldorf Class Light Cruiser

4,700 tons Standard Load, 2 x 15 cm in Single Mounts 10 x 10.5 cm in Single Mounts, CL Armor/KCA, 27 knots

Düsseldorf
Aachen
Salzburg
Bielefeld
Maribor
Chemnitz
Duisburg
Erfurt

U-17 Ocean Going Submarine

680 tons surfaced, 870 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 8.8 cm deck gun, 16 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

6 Ordered

*This marks the start of German All or Nothing Armored Schemes

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Dona is now postmenopausal now. Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

Family Time 1912

Near Hechingen
Burg Hohenzollern
January 2 1912

The past month, at least on a personal level had been very enjoyable. I served as the best man for Nicky in his wedding to Cecilie. Even with the almost 20 year ages difference, they made a good couple. Part of me wondered if Nicky would father anymore kids through from this marriage. Then again given the smile on Cecilie’s face for the Christmas party I held here this year a few weeks after their wedding, I had a feeling we would know soon enough if they were having kids or not. Honestly Nicky was a good man and I counted him as one of my close friends at this point.

Another thing I enjoyed about the past month was I had all of my grandkids here. Junior had two that were officially his. Given that Maria’s lady in waiting also had three with a pair being twins I expected that junior was also the father of those kids. I however wasn’t asking Junior, Maria, or their “friend” any questions as I didn’t want to know. It was one of those things I learned early on in life don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to. Lizi and Eitel had brought their three kids with them. Next year through it would be four as Lizi was once again carrying another child. With all these grandkids I knew I was getting old.

Through the most joyful news that had come when I learn two of my children were to me married in the coming year. The first to break the news that wedding bless was in their future was Adalbert and Margarete. They had been courting each other for two years now. The only thing I was worried about was the age difference as Margarete was six years older and was already in her mid-30s. I wanted a good line succession for the Grand Duchy of Courland that Adalbert now led as Grand Duke but I wasn’t going to object to the union of these two.

Margarete was a Baltic-German noble who had moved from Moscow in the aftermath of our victory in the Great War. She had set up shop in Mitau to further her own research into agricultural chemistry after accepting an offer of funding from the Gauss Society. The couple had met when Adalbert had toured her research facility as his part of learning about the people of his Grand Duchy. Something clicked when they met and soon started dating. Now they were tying the knot in May. All I knew it was going to be fun meeting the Wrangel family all at once.

As for the others that honor when to the first of the children I was there for the fun part. Victoria Louise was one of the oldest two with her twin brother Frederick being the first that me and Dona had. Her marriage politically was a boon for me, even through I hadn’t pushed it. This was because it would end a royal feud that dated back to 1866. This was because Vicky as we all called her was set to marry Ernest Augustus. Ernest was set to become the next Duke of Brunswick as well be the next head of the House of Hannover. He would also become the 4th Duke of Cumberland in the UK.

Granted this match though politically a very good thing was a fluke that it had ever happened. The two met at a funeral of all places. Even making it odder was it was for Ernest’s older brother George who had died back in December 1910 from the flu. The news of their relationship had caused ripple effects in German royal circles and it had taken some work to were both I and Ernest’s father would give our blessings to the match. Still the match was political genius but it was nothing more than true love between those two.

Professionally though this past month had been trying. What happened in Portugal had been expected but it was still sad to hear about. The Lavender Revolution brought an end to the Kingdom of Portugal. I wasn’t totally sure what Portugal was now through politically. Officially they were calling themselves a republic but they didn’t look like a republic. Well at least not a stable one. Honestly what they would be next month would be anyone’s guess.

Then there were the fucking Hungarians. Say what ever you want about that fucking bastard Maurras, he was at least a cunning bastard. Budapest on the other hand suffered from delusions of grandeur while being high on their own supply at the same time. Honestly, I would take dealing with Maurras as he was easier to figure out than who ever was leading the Hungarian government this month. They acted more on gut than careful thought and that made them harder to figure out. And right now they were trying to rule lawyer themselves out of some of the things they had agreed to in The Budapest Accords.

Only there was one problem, even a first year law student could defeat the arguments that Budapest was putting forward. It was that bad. It honestly screamed we don’t want to do this and we are throwing whatever we can at the wall and see what sticks. It would been so much simpler if I could had just when to war and crushed them.

Up in the Air Pt I

Near Vilkmergė, German Empire
Imperial Army Airfield
February 16 1912

Hauptmann Hans Dallmann was standing inside one of the newly built hangers of the airfield and even now he still felt the cold in the air with the furnaces running. The temperature was around three below and most likely wouldn’t break zero degrees today. He was thankful he wouldn’t be flying today as he didn’t want to think of how cold the wind would be if they when up today. No today was a ground walkthrough of the new aircraft that was equipping the aircraft squadron being attached to XXI. Armee-Korps.

Ever since the end of the Great War the Imperial Army had refused to sit on its laurels. Many within at the higher ranks of the Imperial Army the Kaiser had made a mistake by allowing the British too much say at the London Peace Conference. This was because they were of the belief that the British shed far too little blood in the war to have that large of a say in the peace treaty. They would admit while the gains Germany did achieve were good they could had been far better. Even the Kaiser had admitted privately to some within the high command that the British had an oversize hand in shaping the peace treaty and it had been a mistake. It was why the Imperial Army was refusing to sit on its laurel. They viewed the job of the Great War as only half done which meant it was only a question of when the next war would be fought not if the next war would be fought.

One area that had peeked Army High Command’s interest during the war was aerial reconnaissance. This had been done via Zeppelins during the war as fixed wing aircraft were simply too weak at the time to do anything worthwhile. While Zeppelins had offer an unbelievable edge to what prior then had been the role of the calvary they had severe limits on what they could and couldn’t do. Further they were costly to build and operate. If one crashed which was somewhat common you would lose up to 20 highly trained personal. It was why they were funding research into fix wing aircraft to get them a cheaper and more flexible means of aerial reconnaissance over the Zeppelins in service.

“Gentlemen I’m Oberleutnant Albert Kesselring and I will be leading you through today’s walk through.” The CO of the Beobachtungsgeschwader 6[1] was currently recovering from an appendectomy. The executive officer had been on leave when the CO under when the appendectomy and was currently in route from his hometown of Laibach to take over the squadron. As such the operations officer who had been set to give this lecture was busy running the squadron. This was how the newly promoted Oberleutnant Kesselring was giving this lecture.

The aircraft behind Kesselring was the second aircraft officially adopted for service by the Imperial Army Air Service along with the Naval Air Service. The first was a much simpler training aircraft with a less powerful engine. That aircraft would be at the heart of training new pilots for both the army and navy. This aircraft through was something different. While that aircraft could in a pinch serve in the observation role it was understood to be a training aircraft by all those within both air services.

Prior to this both air services had a host of different aircraft in service but none of them had been officially adopted for service. This was simply because none of these aircraft were really all that good. Instead they were being used test out ideas and see what they wanted in a proper service aircraft. Last year both services and agreed in effort to keep cost down to use the same aircraft. That agreement had been broker by the Kaiser himself. This led to tenders for designs being put out. The current plan was to equip every army corp with one squadron of 16 aircraft of this type. For the navy it was planned to have four squadrons of this type.

“The C.I is a two seat aircraft.” Kesselring started as informing Dallmann and the other artillery officers of the abilities of this aircraft. “The pilot sets forward in the aircraft with the observer and camera operator setting in the second seat.” Dallmann made a note to ask later if you could fit a short-range voice radio on this as he was thinking this would be great for calling in artillery from the air.

“It’s powered by a inline six cylinder engine that gives 78 kilowatts[2] of power. This while running 65 octane gasoline.” That got all of the officers to take note. Most gasoline that was used in cars was currently 35 octane. However unknown to all of them Dona’s background in the Petro-chemical industry was fast tracking German development of the German Petro-chemical industry which was regarded by all as the most advance in the world.

Kesselring kept going on outlining what the C.I could do. Unknown to anyone in this hanger, this was the start of an aerial arms race. Germany through was well position to fight this arms race as its aviation industry was one of the most advance in the world rivaled by only a few.

[1] If Google Translate is worth a damn this should say observation squadron.

[2] If my understand of everything is correct kilowatts instead of mechanical horsepower would be the unit of measure of engine’s power in Germany at this time.

Tip toeing through the Balkans Minefields Pt I

Belgrade
Stari dvor
March 27 1912

Since the end of the Great War Serbia had not had the backing of a Great Power. This had largely come about by the Black Hand’s efforts in the coup that overthrew the Obrenović dynasty and brought the Karađorđević dynasty to power in Serbia in the early 1900s. They had bet on the Russians being there, only when war came the Austro-Hungarians stay out of the war and with the defeats suffered early on by Russia caused the Serbians to pause from joining in this war. They then watched as their Great Power backer suffered defeat after defeat and then fell into civil war. A civil war that had left a mark on the Russian Empire.

They weren’t far behind. With the lost of French and Russian loans, the Serbian economy cratered. The Black Hand tried again to bring a ruler who would go against the Ottomans as their performance while respectable in the war, was such that the Black Hand believed they could win a short war and get people looking beyond the piss pour economy of the nation. Only this time the coup wasn’t clean. This led to the Serbians fighting their own civil war. The Germans had put their thumb on the scale of this civil war and gave arms and money to the side of the civil war that supported Prince Alexander over Crown Prince George. It was that support that had proven critical in the Serbian Civil War that lasted between 1908 and 1910.

In the aftermath of the civil Serbia had a lot of work ahead of her. They had rebuilt their nation which had been shattered. They also needed to repopulate their nation as over half a million people had died in the civil war. For a nation of just under three million prior to the civil war those kinds of losses were crippling. Even more so since it was many young men and skill labors who had lost their lives in the fighting and violence. Then there were the hundreds of thousands of others who had been injured in the violence.

During the final stages of the Serbian Civil War the German intelligence service took an active role in the violence. Acting on the direct orders of Kaiser Wilhelm they were to make sure all members of the Black Hand were as he putted it terminated with extreme prejudice. Wilhelm knew a bad idea would lingers if any of them lived. So, he decided to remove them from the board. Given the abilities of the German Intelligence Service this didn’t prove to be a big ask.

Once peace returned German loans started to come in to help rebuild the broken nation. There also was an effort to start to court Belgrade into a formal alliance between itself and Berlin. It however was the brutal crackdown by the Hungarians that finally got things in Belgrade to the point of willing to ink an alliance treaty with Berlin. This mainly stemmed from the support that Berlin was giving the Ottomans as even the supporters of now King Alexander believed in Pan-Slavism and wanted to free their brothers in the Ottoman Empire to live under a Christian King.

Events in Hungary had changed the equation. There was a belief that the Hungarians in effort to unite their nation might try a short victorious war against Serbia in effort to mask over their own problems. Given the damage their nation had suffered in the Serbian Civil War they knew they would be up the creek without the paddle. So, they agreed to German terms that were largely designed to keep from forming a short term alliance aimed at taking Ottoman lands in the Balkans. Along with stopping them from waging an offensive war against the Ottomans.

Along with the security that the German alliance brought them, it would also bring about an economic aid package that was designed to get them back on their feet economically.

Tech Growth Part XVIII

Potsdam
Sanssouci
May 3 1912

Looking at my lab, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride even if my era of using this lab was coming to a close. It had simply become too small and too limited in what it could do to keep up with the cutting edge of chemistry. The days of a single room lab that was attached to a house or in this case a palace was quickly coming to an end. After talking with my husband and soul mate I had decided to retire my labs and switch to writing theory papers to plan ideas in people’s head instead of doing the hard research that I had carried on in this and two other small labs that I had set up soon after reaching here.

There was another reason I had decided to end my direct hands-on work in chemistry. My pseudonym of Countess Sophia was becoming too well known. I had turned down the honor that in my last life I would most likely had killed for this year. This was also the third time I had turned the honor of being a Nobel laureate down. The Nobel Prize committee wanted to meet Countess Sophia and give her a Nobel Prize for chemistry, this time it was for my work that had recreated the Haber Process. They were refusing to deal with someone who would go in my stead so I had to turn it down. So instead, they were awarding this year’s Nobel Prize instead to Adolph Frank for his work with Potash.

While the secret of Countess Sophia was a somewhat open secret within the ruling classes, both Wilhelm and I felt that it coming out that I was Countess Sophia wasn’t for the best of Germany at the moment. Even Wilhelm was keeping the role he played in firearms and other mechanical things on the down low. This was because neither us wanted a cult of personality to rise up around either of us. We both had seen how bad that could be and didn’t wanted that to happen to Germany. So, it was with all these reasons I was saying good bye to my labs. I was doing my best not to cry as I loved working with chemistry but to keep going forward with it I would need a truly proper lab now and that would just be a bright glaring neon arrow that I was Countess Sophia.

My last major work in the field of chemistry was going to be critical to the field. This work had been in the field of mass spectrometry. I had figured out how to build a mass spectrometer that was fully working and the theories behind how to use one. Currently I had a half of dozen patents related to my research in this field in the process of being filed right now. Two more were almost ready to be sent off to the patent office. The first research paper was currently undergoing the peer-review process. Another two were still in various stages of being written before I would send those papers out for peer-review as well.

I heard foot steps behind me and turned my head and looked behind me to see my lover behind me. He spoke first, “Having a hard time saying good bye?” Wilhelm asked as a rhetorical question.

Once he was close enough, he pulled me into a massive hug, “Yes.” I answered as the tears started to flow. All I ever wanted to be was a chemist. Now I just didn’t have the equipment or space needed to do it safety at this point.

While holding me, “Come on baby, we have a train to catch. Our babies are getting married.”

Sports Pt III

Vienna
Königin Elisabeth Football Stadium
June 19 1912

The crowd in the new stadium built for the football club SK Rapid Wien were on their feet as the runners entered the final turn of the 5,000 meter men’s athletic event in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Even through this stadium would host both of the medal games for the football series that was part of the games Vienna couldn’t host them. So, till the medal games were held, the football part of the 1912 summer games were being held in seven different cities within the empire. Given there were 16 teams[1] playing for their chance to bring home gold, it had been a hell of opening round so far.

Even then for the football games everyone was wanting to see a Hungarian-Romanian match up. Neither team was expected to medal. They however had good odds of making the quarter-finals through. It wasn’t clear through it they were going to meet up there through. If they did meet up in that match or any match it was expected that game that would be psychical and left it all on the field. I however was hoping neither team made it to the quarter-finals. All that kept running through my mind if that happened it would be a 1912 version of the Blood in the Water match from the 1956 Melbourne Games from the history that me and Dona knew. Just instead of it being in a pool this would be on a football field.

As for the stadium were currently in it was bleeding edge state of the art. It had ground broke prior to Vienna had been awarded the 1912 summer games in 1910. It had been built using prefabricated prestressed concrete sections which had been developed in response of the Plattenbau Act of 1906. It had allowed this 30,000 seat stadium which only a few years before ground had been broken for it to go from cost prohibitive to affordable.

Even here in the royal booth for this stadium you could hear the crowd as the runners on the track were putting everything they had into the last 100 or so meters of this race. This was even over the deafening cries of one 17 year Olga Romanov. Her boyfriend and my youngest male child Joachim, now a Oberfähnrich zur See in the navy was in this event and leading the pack of eight runners as they made their way to the finish line. Like me prior to my knee showing itself to made of glass, Joachim was a runner. Unlike me through and most of the family he had decided to make a career in the navy instead of the army. He was currently assigned to the Danube River Squadron and was stationed here in Vienna.

Outside Olga and her father everyone else in this room was related to Joachim. So, we were all cheering as well, it was just Olga who was louder than everyone else in the room. “YES!” Olga yelled so loudly when Joachim crossed the finish line almost a whole length ahead of the pack of eight that I thought everyone else in the stands heard her. As I hugged my wife with tears in my eyes seeing my son becoming a gold medal Olympic athlete, I saw Olga was jumping up and down in joy at what her boyfriend had just done. I knew that unless my boy royally screwed things up, she was going to be my next daughter-in-law.

[1] The teams are Germany, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Grand Duchy of the Baltic, Spain, Romania, Norway, Russia, Brazil, and Chile.

North Atlantic Highjinx Pt I

SS Vaterland
North Atlantic
July 15 1912

The SS Vaterland was the newest ship to enter service of Norddeutscher Lloyd. She was a half-sister of the Kronprinz Wilhelm Class. Indeed, she had been laid down as the third sister ship of the Kronprinz Wilhelm Class, but she had seen an update to her construction plans when she was about a quarter finished. Under these revised which mostly had to do with her boilers, she could reach an unheard of 31 knots going when going at flank speed instead of the 27 knots of her two half-sisters.

For the Vaterland, she was applying the North Atlantic route now as the flagship of the Norddeutscher Lloyd. Like all German ships built since the mid-1890s she was known for her safety and creature comforts. She had watertight bulkheads that ran all the way to the main deck of the ship. For the levels above the main deck they did not have these water tight bulkheads. However, if you were in need of watertight bulkheads at these levels the ship was doomed at that point anyways. With that thought they hadn’t been added as it wasn’t worth the cost. Another point of safety was having enough standard life boats onboard for its rated 2,500 passengers and 650 crew members. Plus, there were a further number of collapsible life boats in the event of the normal life boats being damaged or otherwise unable to be used.

The captain of the SS Vaterland was one Commodore Alfred Tirpitz. Tirpitz at one point had been one of the senior officers within the Kaiserliche Marine. Well, when being a senior officer in the KM meant being a Kapitän zur See. He had resigned his commission in 1895 in protest of what direction the Kaiser was taking the KM. After resigning his commission, he briefly thought about getting into politics to force the Kaiser to listen to his plans for the navy. Two things through kept him going from that route. First no major political party would touch Tirpitz with a ten meter pole because they knew he had resigned in protest for a disagreement with the Kaiser over the navy. Further his pension for being a Kapitän zur See wasn’t enough to allow him to become an independent politican. With that route close to him he applied for a commission as an officer within the officer corp of Norddeutscher Lloyd.

With his background he quickly rose through the officer corp ranks of Norddeutscher Lloyd’s passenger fleet. He proved to be populator with the passengers of first and second class along with being a skilled sailor. In 1910 he had been named as the senior captain within the passenger liners of Norddeutscher Lloyd and became entitled to the rank of Commodore. As such he served as the captain of the flag ship of the line, which at the moment was the SS Vaterland.

It was the knocking at his door that woke him from the sound sleep he was in. Looking over at his clock he noticed it was just after one in the morning. “This better be important.” He muttered to himself.

Answering the door in his pajamas was Assistant Singalman Hitler, “Sir, we have a distress signal coming from the RMS Britannic.” Hitler had joined Norddeutscher Lloyd following his active-duty service within the KM a few years ago. He however was also a naval reservist as were many of the crew of the Vaterland who didn’t directly deal with the passengers. Hitler handed the note to his captain with the information that came from the radio message he took in only minutes ago.

That got Tirpitz fully wake as he took the message from the junior rating. Looking at the message he did the math in his head, they were only about three hours away from the RMS Britannic. Walking over to the ship phone that linked him directly with the bridge he picked up and waited for a moment for the officer of the watch to pick up. Once the officer picked up Tirpitz spoke, “Ready the ship to aid a ship in distress. Wake the crew. Double the look outs. I will be on the bridge shortly.”

The officer of the watch simply replied, “Aye, aye sir.” At that Tirpitz put that phone down.

“Return to your duty station Singalman.” Tirpitz said as he returned to shut the door.

“Aye, aye sir.” Hitler said before he started to run back to the radio shack.

Once the door was shuttered Tirpitz started to get himself dressed for what was promising to be a long night ahead of him on this moonless night.

North Atlantic Highjinx Pt II

SS Vaterland
North Atlantic
July 15 1912

“Make rotations for steerage only!” Tirpitz called out on the bridge of his ship. His navigation officer repeated Tirpitz call as he was moving the levels on the chadburn so the ship would slow even further than it already was. He really wanted to come to a dead stop but with that iceberg being within 10 kilometers he needed power to keep from suffering the same fate as the RMS Britannic.

“Standby with rescue parties!” Tirptiz called out as his next command as he felt the ship slow from its already slow pace.

While the commands were being relayed to the sailors manning the lifeboats Tirptiz kept looking at what he was seeing through his quartermaster glasses. He was looking at the aft half of RMS Britannic at less than 2 kilometers from his current location. The forward part of the ship was simply gone. Tirptiz briefly wonder what had caused that, but his mind when back to the task at hand quickly. The back half of the Britannic was from the looks of it slowly settling in the water but it was currently serving as a life boat for an untold number of people from the look of it. What was left of the Britannic was dark through. It was clear whatever happened killed the ability of the boilers to power the ship. That meant the ship’s pumps weren’t in use anymore. That made time of essence.

Tirptiz however faced a tough choice. He could attempt to save those in the water and hope the aft part of the Britannic had enough reserve buoyancy to hold out while he fished people out of the water. Or he could focus on saving the people who were still on the aft part of the Britannic and leave those people in the water to their fate. Then he decided to try both. “Starboard parties are to make for the Britannic! Port parties are to fish people out of the water!”

Orders were once against relayed to the rescue parties that were manning the life boats of the Vaterland. The medical section of the ship was ready to receive wounded passengers of the Britannic, being boosted by Tirptiz order to check with the passengers to see if there were doctors or other medical trained personal onboard. This had turned up an extra doctor and a pair of nurses to help the small medical staff that the Vaterland kept on her. The ship wasn’t meant to deal with something like this.

“Away rescue parties!” Tirptiz called out once felt the ship was slow enough for that order. At that order, lifeboats were lowered by the crew into the water to start efforts to save the lives of the passengers and crew of the Britannic. While Tirptiz had been calling out his orders the lifeboats of the Britannic had started to row to the Vaterland.

The Britannic Class had been the British answer to the Kronprinz Wilhelm Class liners. Well to put a more finer point on it the Britannic Class was the White Star Line’s answer to Norddeutscher Lloyd. The 51,000 tons of the Britannic Class were slightly bigger than the Kronprinz Wilhelm Class but they also topped out at 29 knots which was slightly faster than the Kronprinz Wilhelm. The problem was the safety standards between the two classes were noticeably different. The Britannic only had a double bottom hull whereas the Kronprinz had a double hull below the water line not just a double bottom. Granted they could use these holds as trim tanks, but still it was an extra later of safety. Then there were the water tight bulkheads. The Britannic Class only had these as high was E deck instead of the main deck of the Kronprinz Wilhelm Class. Also, the Britannic Class didn’t have enough lifeboats onboard for all her passengers and crew. Instead, the Britannic had just enough life boats for just under half of her passengers and crew.

Watching through his quartermaster glass Tirptiz watched as his lifeboats passed the Britannic’s lifeboats. “Mutter Gottes.” He said louder than he meant to after counting one life boat with only 17 people in it. That caused some of the bridge crew to look at their captain.

Once Tirptiz got pass that. “Inform the rescue teams, once they unload the passengers from the Britannic life boats that those lifeboats are to turn around and help in rescue operations!” He was pissed. There was no reason for what he was seeing. It also explained why so many people were in the water and on the aft part of a dying ship.

Reforming the Bear Pt I

Moscow
Kremlin
October 15 1912

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin the Imperial Russian government had relocated from Petrograd to Moscow. Tsar Michael supported this move to help secure the Imperial Government as Petrograd was not in the most defensible position since the losses of the Great War. Both men were working to help the Russian Empire recover for the losses of the Great War along with the civil war that followed. Then there were still some minor rebellions within Central Asia that still had to be snuffed out through. Even with those minor rebellions within Central Asia the Russian Empire was at its most peaceful position since 1904 now.

For Secretary of War General Field Marshal Roman Kondratenko he was using the peace to reorganize the army into a force that would be worthy of being an army of an empire. Even through Kondratenko had been defeated by the Japanese, everyone admitted the only reason they lasted as long as they had at Port Arthur was because of Kondratenko’s planning, leadership, and actions. After being released by the Japanese following the end of the war Kondratenko declared himself in support of then Tsar George and joined the Whites. During the civil war he saw promotions as he led White Forces to victory on the battlefield as well as political victories. Stolypin who replaced Sergei Witte after the civil war as the prime minister of Russia named Kondratenko the Secretary of War. Then he was given the task of rebuilding and retraining the Imperial Russian Army.

That task was easier said then done. Even with Tula and Izhmash Arsenals working two shifts six days a week the Russian Army was still critically short on small arms at the moment. There were whole corps of troops still equipped with American made Winchester 1895 level action rifles in 7.62 x 54R as they simply didn’t have enough Mosin-Nagant rifles to equip all front line units at the current moment, never mind forming a proper reserve. They wouldn’t have enough rifles for that till well into 1914 for all of the line units in the army. It would even be longer before the Remington Rolling Blocks that had been chambered in their standard rifle round could be retired and placed into the reserves. Even as Kondratenko was reviewing small arms reports inside the Kremlin, the guards of the Kremlin were mostly equipped with Rolling Block rifles as they needed the more advance Mosin-Nagant and Winchester 1895s in infantry units. Granted they did have some more advance rifles here guarding the Kremlin, but they were only few in numbers. In the civil war through they had seen front line service for lack of anything better. Even then they were still better than some weapons used in the civil war.

Indeed, during the civil war some units had one rifle for every five soldiers. Kondratenko knew that was a disgrace and he was working on fixing it. The problem was lack of money. Stolypin’s focus was getting the economy of Russia working again. With that he was in the middle of a massive agrarian reforms to ease the pressure Moscow was under at the moment. While what Stolypin was doing here looked like it would help ease that pressure it did nothing to address the lack industrial production of Russia.

Kondratenko wanted to expand both Tula and Izhmash along with forming another state arsenal to help meet the demands of the Russian Army for small arms and other equipment. Basic on current reports they could only mobilize an army of 3.5 million men and have firearms for everyone of those soldiers. This was because he wasn’t going to repeat the civil war of having whole units armed with pikes for lack of firearms. Even to get those 3.5 million men mobilize it would take breaking out everything including the Berdan rifles that were finally returning to the reserves as more modern equipment was coming in to take their place.

Another area that Kondratenko was working on improving was that of the artillery. While what artillery units that had been equipped with the latest designs had proven their worth during the Great War, the problem was once again numbers. There simply hadn’t been enough and with the losses in that war it made things even worse. Things had gotten so bad during the civil war there were whole units equipped with muzzle loading cannon that had last seen combat during the Crimean War. Granted as peace had return those had quickly been retired but still challenging to find a corp level formation that had its proper artillery allotment.

While there were other things, he wanted to do he simply didn’t have the money to do it. That was things like buying trucks and tractors to help with the mobility of his army. Or make it standard to issue socks to their soldiers. The list when on. Then again, he was still getting more funding than the navy who finally just ordered six domestically made submarines. Those would be the first major warships to be built in Russia since the start of the Great War. The navy was mostly gunboats at the moment that had been slapped together during the civil war or the remaining units that had been built or brought prior to the Great War and made it though that war and the Civil War.

A Game is Afoot Pt II

Oyster Bay, New York
Sagamore Hill
November 23 1912

President-elect Theodore Roosevelt was working on how to deliver on his campaign promises he had made. This election had been charged unlike anything seen since 1860 as it had been that heated between Roosevelt and Wilson. Roosevelt had not even been the first choice of the party bosses when they met in Chicago for the party convention. Nor the fifth choice. He however ended up being a compromise after 105 ballots and over a week of trying to figure out who was going to be at the topic of the ticket.

The main focus of the election was the economy of the nation. A close second was dealing with the fall out with that blasted train that the Kaiser had ran through the south. Theodore would admit that had been a public relations coup performed by his friend. Further the newspapermen who had gone south in the aftermath of that train had a story to tell. Well, those that made it back out of the deep south. Between the two things had tensions almost as high as 1860. There was pressure from Northern States to bring the South to heel again, but Roosevelt knew it wouldn’t happen even if he made it clear he wanted it to happen.

As for the economy Roosevelt admit that Wilson had taken some needed steps to end the Recession of 1907. The big thing was him passing the Federal Reserve System was something that had been needed. Roosevelt knew full well the only reason the economy didn’t totally fall to shit in 1907 was because JP Morgan had backstopped it. They however couldn’t always depend on the 74-year-old banker forever to save the American economy.

For various reasons the economy never fully recovered under Wilson through. Unknown to Roosevelt that was largely because of his friend Kaiser Wilhelm. Wilhelm wanted Wilson out of office as he couldn’t stand the man. Using various economic tricks Wilhelm had undermined the US economy to keep it from fully recovering under Wilson. This had some fringe benefits through.

These fringe benefits were in the form of Germans who had migrated to the United States early in Wilhelm’s reign to return to Germany. Then there was the machine tools that Wilhelm had been able to buy for pennies on the dollar as factories shutter. Those machine tools were ended up in areas of Europe that were being uplifted in the aftermath of the Treaty of Vienna or going to Africa to build on the nascent industrial base that was forming there. Then there was promising scientist and engineers that had been lured to Germany for well paying work. Plus the ongoing work to recruit African-Americans to German Africa, just now via Mexico instead of directly in the Deep South.

Roosevelt had ran on a platform he called New Nationalism. This was based on what he called the Three Cs. These Cs were the conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection[1]. There were also social safety nets he wanted to enact to soften economic hard times on the American citizens. He knew it was going to be an uphill battle with congress.

Another thing Roosevelt wanted to do was improve the military of the nation. The new service rifle that had entered service in 1906 was still embroiled in a legal dispute with Paul Mauser who was being backed by the German Government. During the war with Spain, the Army admitted the Krag Rifle was outright was outclassed by the Spanish Mausers[2]. So much so that the M1906 rifle had largely been copied from captured Spanish Mausers, even through it was four years after the Germans fielded working semi-automatic rifles. Yet when Mauser got his hands on the M1906 he claimed that Springfield had ripped off a number of his patents and he was demanding royally payments plus damages. He wanted to get that issued taken care.

Then there was the newly adopted semi-automatic pistol. John Browning who everyone expected his pistol to win the pistol trials once they started Browning had withdrawn his pistol from the trial shortly after the trial started. That left the trials in a bit of a limbo after that. The only two that made it through the first round was a design by Savage and a German design known as the Luger. Luger however then withdrew from the trials for what DWM felt like was unfair practices to give an American design the edge along with using their pistol as a whipping boy. Having had shot both Roosevelt knew the Luger had been the better pistol. Yet with only one entry in the trials had caused problems. Even more so with all the German firms refusing to deal with the US. The Savage design had a lot of work needed done to it before it became acceptable. Even still Roosevelt felt the M1912 Pistol[3] would find itself in the same position as the Krag Rifle had been in the Spanish-American War. It was already outclassed but it was the best the Army could get at the moment.

Roosevelt knew he had his work cut out for him.

[1] Yes the Three Cs are the same as OTL.

[2] Even through the Germans got the 1889 Mauser and Paul Mauser was busy working on the M1 Garand program that would lead to the Gewehr 02, he kept improving the 1889. The Spanish were using something akin to the 1895 Mauser firing 7 mm Mauser.

[3] Its Close to the 1911 Savage design, but its paying out the ass in royally to Browning.

1912 Year in Review

Domestic

Cannabis Act of 1912

This is basically a tax of cannabis sold within Germany and its colonies. Basically, another sin tax save for when being used for medical reasons. You need a medical license through to get it tax free through. Efforts were made to bring Cocaine into this act but an agreement couldn’t be reached so they cut cocaine out of it and got an act they could pass done. That said work is still on going on something to deal with Cocaine.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

German-Serbian Alliance

This is a defensive only alliance. Serbia requested in this treaty that Germany works with the Ottomans to find a peaceful way forward there. But other than that it’s a fairly standard alliance treaty.

Foreign Regions

United States

It’s improving.

Britain

There’s an arms race, what more needs to be said.

France

Its improving.

Italy

Stable

Russia

Relations are starting to defrost, but don’t put away the snow gear just yet as that’s still needed.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

If Hungary was to invade Hell, Kaiser Wilhelm would likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Panzerwagen II@

Weight: 3.9 t
Armor: Rifle Proof@@
Crew: Varies between 3 to 6
Armament: Various
Engine: Inline 4 Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 33.5 kw
Operational Range: 150 km
Max Speed: 45 km/h

Panzerwagen III@@@/@@@@

Weight: 1.5 t
Armor: Rifle Proof
Crew: 2
Armament: MG 98G
Engine: Inline 4 Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 22 kw
Operational Range: 300 km
Max Speed: 55 km/h

Derfflinger Class Battlecruiser

31,400 ton standard load, 9 x 35 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA*, 28 kts

Derfflinger
Seydlitz

Adler Class Destroyers**

1,200 tons Standard Load, 4 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 36 kts

Adler
Falke
Fischadler
Eule
Raubvogel
Skua
Würger
Eisvogel
Drachen
Spechte
Geier
Habicht

U-24 Class Coastal Submarines

495 tons surfaced, 610 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 5.0 cm deck gun, 14 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

Six Ordered***

C.I^/^^

Crew: 2
Power Plant: Inline Six, Liquid Cooled, 78 kw
Max Speed: 115 km/h
Range: 675 km
Endurance: 4.5 hours

T.I^^^

Crew: 2
Powerplant: V-8, Liquid Cooled, 70 kw
Max Speed: 105 km/h
Range: 350 km
Endurance: 2.5 hours

@ Performance wise its roughly equal the OTL Minerva Armored Car. The main differences are German ICEs which are slightly more advance than OTL along with German armaments. There is also a subsect within these AFVs which are armored command vehicles. These are for battalion to company level communication than AFV to AFV. Also, this holds true for regimental to battalion. At company level to your AFVs you are using signal flags.

@@With AFVs I’m putting what armor is proof again. I didn’t break down the thicknesses on warships, I’m damn sure not doing it with AFVs.

@@@ Performance wise its roughly equal the OTL Ford FT-B performance wise. Again, main differences are German ICEs and German armaments.

@@@@I have a tech curve planned out so don’t be expecting the Germans to start dropping Panther Tanks anytime soon. Ditto for the Germans start pumping out Bf 109s or Me 262s in the near future.

@@@@@No I didn’t mark this, but there is a note here anyways. There were other armored cars brought in small batches prior to this, however these two are officially approved for service which means they get different names and are shown here. The same holds true for aircraft.

*German BCs starting with this class have switched to all or nothing armor schemes.

**This marks the point Germany starts naming its destroyers instead of using S then number as with the classes that came before this one. This is because of a shake up in how things are named plus you start seeing largeish torpedo boats take over the S number series. No I’m not covering those.

***I’m not listing U-boat numbers FYI.

^Performance wise its roughly equal to the OTL Albatros B.I. The main difference is slightly better ICEs.

^^Till otherwise noted, German Aircraft are kind of a joint service affair.

^^^Performance wise its roughly equal to the OTL Curtiss Model J.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

North Atlantic Highjinx Pt III

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
January 9 1913

Normally at the end of January and the end of July I would host party for those being honored with various awards or knighthoods. Well, the awards had to be of the right class to get to be invited to this ball. On rare events when someone could make it to these events I would if they were important enough have a smaller gathering to honor them. Today was one such event, as Commodore Alfred von Tirpitz of Norddeutscher Lloyd. For Tirpitz and his crew who were being honor now would had been in the middle part of the North Atlantic when the normal January festivities would be taking place this year on the returning crossing of the SS Vaterland.

What happened to the RMS Britannic had shocked the world. The rescue efforts of the Vaterland through had brought hope to the world. Tirpitz had handled his ship the crisis as well as one could had been expected of any skilled sailor. He was widely credited for why only 639 people had been lost when the Britannic when down. He closed to about half of kilometer within of the aft part of the Britannic when he launched his rescue parties to fish those who were in the drink out of it. Not everyone who was pulled out of the Atlantic made it through. Some died in the lifeboats on the way back to the Vaterland. Others died in the Vaterland’s medical bay. [1]

Once the majority of the people were out of the Atlantic did Tirpitz direct his rescue parties to go after those still trapped on the aft section of the Britannic. It was when this happened that a horrible truth came out. This was when a head came out that showed how short they were. That was because some officer on the RMS Britannic had ordered the third-class passengers to be locked up so they couldn’t take up space on the lifeboats because they didn’t have enough of them. Who gave that order was of debate through. All I could say was thank God that Captain Edward Smith had the common decency to go down with his ship. The reports pointed to him going to the bridge and locking himself in there before it became flooded.

With that having come out some of the crew members of the Vaterland when back down into the hull of the aft-section of the Britannic to save the passengers of third class. This all the while water was flooding into the aft section. From what my engineers had told me while there had been water tight doors the brunt force of having the ship torn in half and the landing back in the Atlantic had knocked them about to where they weren’t water tight anymore. So those guys were brave as hell for what they did and they pulled out a number of passengers who would been damned if they hadn’t.

Tirpitz himself was being ennobled as a Ritter as well as being awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the German Empire. The order members of the crew were being awarded various awards both from Germany and the British themselves. The fact the British were awarding Tirpitz their Order of Merit just privately made me laugh. Yet the British were having to eat some humble pie right now and I was enjoying it.

In the near future through there would be an international meeting to deal with the safety of live at sea. This reminded me of the SOLAS conventions I had read about prior to being Wilhelm II of the German Empire. How that would work here I wasn’t sure as I had never been widely read on the subject of maritime law. I didn’t have that large of stake in this given how I was working with the German merchant liners at the moment. It was profitable affair for both of us as well as making German ships some of the safest in the world at the moment. Still Germany would take part of it.

[1] I’m slightly recanting how the events when on this. But I’m not doing a massive edit of it.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXII

Moritzburg
Schloss Moritzburg
February 17 1913

“Pull!” I called out having my over-under barrel shotgun at the ready. At that skeet trap launched a pair of clay disk into the air. Tracking them I pulled the trigger and blew the first clay disk out of the air. A second later I pulled the trigger again after letting it reset while aiming for the second clay disk. The second clay disk didn’t break up as I missed.

“It’s always the second one that gives me trouble.” I said as I lowered by shot gun and worked the level to open the breach. Once it was opened, I pulled out the two empty shells and threw them into the metal bin that was nearby. Currently I was in Saxony for the opening of a new canal in a few days and was taking the time to keep up with a fellow royal.

Frederick Augustus III, the current king of Saxony who I was shooting skeet with right now was standing next to me. “Not everything you can touch can turn into gold Wilhelm.” He replied while loading his own shotgun. I had a fairly good relationship with Frederick. He also would take pot shots every so often about my vast fortune. Without a shadow of doubt, I was the richest man in Germany. For damn sure one of the richest in the world. I don’t think I was the richest man on the face of the earth but I was up there.

Once he was at the ready Frederick called out, “Pull!” Once more the skeet trap sent a pair of clay disk into the air. Moments later a 12 gauge bird shot shell when off and one of the clay disk blew up. The second clay disk soon follow being shot out of the air.

As Frederick started the process of emptying the spent shotgun shells out his gun I started to pick up a pair of shells to load my gun. Just as I put one shell into my shotgun I heard on of my aids that I travelled with yelled out, “Your Majesty!” Pulling the shell out of my gun as I knew this had to be important given the tone in his voice. Then I threw the shells back into the box as I handed off my shotgun to the royal aid of Frederick who was out here with us. Gun safety was something I took seriously at all times.

It only took him a few moments for him to finish running the distance to where Frederick and I were shooting skeet. The color of the paper he had in his hand told me it was important and had something to do with foreign affairs. Once he was within arm’s length of me he held out the paper, “Your majesty!” He said somewhat winded.

Taking the note, I read it quickly. Once finished then I re-read this note again slowly to make sure my eyes hadn’t lied to me. I balled up the note and threw it in the metal bin all the while grabbing my cane which was leaned up against the table that held the half empty box of shotgun shells. “God damn the Italians! Damn them to hell!” I said beyond pissed off at what they had just did. I wonder how much sleep I would get over the next few nights trying to stop the Italians from fucking up my long term plans.

The Ottoman Problem Pt V

Istanbul
Ottoman Army HQ
February 19 1913

Generaloberst Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz who was serving as the senior German military attaché to the Ottoman Empire was walking to an important meeting with his Ottoman counterparts. The surprising Italian declaration of war had caught many within the Ottoman Empire and indeed the world by surprise. The only ones who didn’t see surprised by it other than the Italians were the British. Goltz knew why the Italians did it.

The current Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II had been trying to play the Great Powers off one another while the Ottomans built up their strength. He knew that was a mistake. The Ottomans should had allied themselves fully with the German Empire instead of taking the path of Abdul Hamid. Given how man attempts had been made on his life you would think he had done everyone a favor and had died already. That however wasn’t the case and he was still trying to have total rule over the empire.

As for the reason the Italians attacked now? Those were currently under construction in shipways in the British Empire. Currently the Ottomans had three dreadnoughts being built in British yards. Two they had ordered themselves in 1911 and 1912 respectfully. The third they had picked up on the cheap when the Brazilians had defaulted on the loans to pay for that battleship a few months ago. The Italians had only a single dreadnought on a slipway at the moment. That ship had laid down in 1909 and was from his intelligence reports still over a year away from commissioning. That would be around the same time two of those three dreadnoughts would be ready. Plus, the third would be ready by 1915.

Currently the Italians held the balance of naval power against the Ottomans. They have ten pre-dreadnought battleships in service where the Ottomans only have two. The Ottoman pre-dreadnoughts were also on the lighter end of armament and armor for a pre-dreadnought meant more for dealing with armored cruisers than other pre-dreadnought battleships. The Italians also had the advance in a number of other areas of naval power.

Then there were the forces currently stationed Ottoman North Africa. Those three provinces of the Ottoman Empire were a backwater of the empire. The troops there were nowhere the best that the empire had to offer. They were still equipped with black powder Mauser rifles as the Ottoman Army still didn’t have enough modern rifles to totally equip their forces. Even then their modern rifles were a confusing mess of different cartridges and types. That was a left over from the Great War with them having a mix of German, British, and American orders along with captured Russian supplies in the mix.

Goltz knew as long as fighting stayed in North Africa, the war was lost. The Ottoman Navy couldn’t hope to challenge the Italian Navy. Without being able to reinforce Ottoman North Africa that territory was all but lost at this point. The best they could do was make the Italians bleed. From the coded telegram that came straight from the Kaiser himself, there was a fear that this war could be spread by the Italians. Two areas the Kaiser singled out was Vlorë and the Dodecanese. There was also something else in that message through. No wasn’t the time for that though. That would have to wait till after the war.

Once he reached the room where Birindji ferik Ahmed Djema was commanding from at the moment. Goltz made sure to shut the door as he entered the room and saw Djema was by himself. Speaking in perfect Ottoman Turk Goltz started, “If the war stays in North Africa, its already over.”

Djema simply let out a sigh, “I know. We don’t have the navy to defeat the Italians and our forces there aren’t going be able to hold out. Even if we were to get our English Battleships, its doubtful. You wouldn’t had said that Goltz without something else on your mind.”

Looking at the map, “We need to move forces here and here.” Goltz pointed out two locations on the map. “Also, we need to start laying dense minefields in both areas. One thing the Kaiser is right about is an army that can’t land on the shore isn’t a threat. These minefields need to be so dense that the Italians can’t hope of landing at either location and we need to have forces mobile enough to counter landing attempts elsewhere through.” Goltz hadn’t been impressed by the Italian performance in the Great War but they weren’t stupid.

At that point the two men started talking about how they would defend both areas from an Italian offensive while keeping enough strength in place to make sure the Greeks and Bulgarians didn’t get any ideas.

Church Issues Pt I

Vienna
Stephansdom
April 9 1913

Officially my husband and I were here for the official announcement of the engagement of Princess Olga Romanov and our son Oberfähnrich zur See Prince Joachim. It was something everyone had been expecting for at least a year now, but they were making it official. As part of the work up to the wedding Olga would be joining the Lutheran Church in the near future. It was much like had Eitel had joined the Catholic Church before he married Lizi. It was just one of those things that were done at the current time.

Unofficially we were both in Vienna for very different reasons. My husband was beyond upset with the Italians for going to war with the Ottomans. He was trying to bring that was to a peaceful end, but right now the Italians still wanted to fight. Then again how much longer that would last was unknown. They had lost two former Austro-Hungarian Battleships in their failed attempt of a landing Vlorë a week ago. Their economy was also starting to faulter. Given the social unrest that was already presence in Italy, I honestly didn’t know how much longer Rome could keep up a war. Granted they were taking Libya, beyond that I didn’t know.

As for myself, I had an important meeting with our contact within the Catholic Church. Cardinal Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte was the papal nuncio for the Kingdom of Austria within the German Empire. Because of how the Catholic Church worked we had these odd positions for our Catholic majority member states. It was also a good way to speak with the Pope unofficially. Because there was no clear cut religious sect majority of Christians within the German Empire we had to walk a tight rope on these issues. We were fine with that through as neither Wilhelm or I cared too much about that. Well outside of issues like this.

Once the greetings were done Cardinal di Belmonte spoke in accented German, “Your Majesty, your message was welcomed by Pope Benedict but also worried him.”

“That is understand your eminence. Both my husband and I wish for peace to return to the world as we believe there had been enough bloodshed.” Speaking of the ongoing Italo-Turkish War. “However, I understand why Pope Benedict would be worried.” I switched to the real reason I had requested this meeting. My husband had asked me to take this meeting as he was worried, that he would lose his temper. He loved children and on finding out what was happening caused him to rage in a way that while understandable I never wanted to see again.

Both Wilhelm and I knew of the Catholic Church Sex Abuse scandals of the late 20th and early 21st century. However, neither of us knew of the problems at this point in time. This had all started based off some hearsay that had made it to our ears back in 1907. Wilhelm had his counterintelligence people look into it, and found out it was more than hearsay. Then they started to dig and what they found was damning. You could see Cardinal di Belmonte’s face give it away he knew of the problem.

“How could men of god do such things such as sodomy and with children no less your eminence?” I asked pissed about what was happening.

The silence was deafening. He had no answer. I waited for Cardinal di Belmonte to speak while glaring at him. It took him more than a minute to find his words. “What would you like seen done with these priests?”

His tone told him he knew that there was no good answer forward. “What I would like to see is these priests’ laicization an in prison for the crimes.” I paused for a moment to let that hang in the air. “However, both my husband and myself believe such actions would not be good for relations between our empire and the Catholic Church. What we would find acceptable if these so called men of god are sent to some far away monastery where there are no children. Once there they spend of the rest of their life in prayer while they repent for their sins. They however are not to ever step foot in our empire once they are in these far away monasteries.”

Cardinal di Belmonte’s face fell. “That is a heavy number your majesty.”

“38 priests and two bishops that we know of.” I replied. “However, having it come out that many priest are engaging in sodomy with children would under mind the Church in the eyes of the people. While we understand you can’t remove them all at once, we want priest of good character to supervise these men of such weak faith.”

“I will pass this on to Pope Benedict Your Majesty.”

“My husband and I are thankful for that.”

Author’s Note: I have no proof for this being the case, but given what I do know I see it as possible if not likely. As such I decided to cover this. The numbers though I pulled out thin air.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIII

Brünn, Kingdom of Bohemia, German Empire
Spielberg
May 18 1913

I was reading a report about the death throes of the Central Asian rebellion against the Russian Empire. This information was a few weeks, if not a month old given that this rebellion was at the ass end of nowhere. Plus, it wasn’t an area where I didn’t have a lot of interest in. With Russia our intelligence services basically only monitored the area of the east bank of the Volga to the western shores of Lake Baikal for economic reasons the majority of the time. Really the only time we did anything more in that region was if there was a rebellion in it at the current moment. We simply didn’t have the resources needed to cover all of Russia along with all the other intelligence operations we had on going elsewhere. In time maybe but at the moment we just didn’t have the resources to do anymore.

The various emirates and khanates that had been protectorates of Moscow since the mid-1870s had all rebelled against Moscow in the aftermath of their defeat in the Great War and the opening stages of the Russian Civil War. That was part of a larger Muslim revolt against Russian ruler. For a while they managed to form their own nation as the Russians had bigger fish to fry at the time. They however never received major support from other nations that would matter. I believe that the Afghans might given some support, but I couldn’t confirm that. That Afghan support through dried up once Tsarist forces had secured their position and could focus on Central Asia through.

Even through Stolypin didn’t want to do it, those various protectorates had been directly annexed by Russia in the direct aftermath of the civil war. I think it had a lot to do with punishing those areas for revolting over others things like logic. That’s what sparked the rebellion in Central Asia. How Moscow dealt with it was brutal. Cossacks had removed whole villages from the face of the earth. Any Russians or Cossacks caught though faced a brutal death at the hands of various Muslims. From the reports I had seen anyone would be begging for a bullet to the temple after going for what they had. Basic on the reports I had hundreds of thousands of Kazaks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, and others in that region were dead because of the actions of Cossacks and other Russian Army units clearing the area. It was possible that number would be north of a million once the dust died down.

It was in the Fergana Valley where the last organized resistance would be made by these rebels. Honestly, I didn’t have much hope for those rebels. The Russian Army was simply better equipped and trained than they were. Which said a lot to how poorly armed the rebels were. Reports were common from the intelligence I was seeing it was common of rebels either being found dead with a pike or a musket. More advance weapons were likely being used by their better troops. Then again how much more training those troops would have I didn’t know, but I knew it wasn’t enough. It was more a question of what now? Would this final stand in the Fergana Valley end it or would it become a guerrilla war? I didn’t have the answers through.

Looking at my watch through I knew I had to put this report away and get ready for the official photos for this summit. Both the Ottomans and Italians had accepted by offer to broker a peace between the two nations. I had made this offer soon after the fighting had started but only the Ottomans had accepted my offer. For the Italians it took a bit of work to get them to accept the offer. Mostly it was me and my intelligence services pulling economic strings to collapse the Italian economy.

Another factor that brought the Italians to the table was the loss of three battleships at the hands of the Ottomans. Two had been due to mines in their failed attempt at Vlorë. They lost another off the coast near Beirut a few weeks ago when they when into shell the city. That had been lost from a pair of torpedoes from an Ottoman torpedo boat. I think they decided to call their losses while they could still gain what I knew as Libya, well at least the bulk of it. They however would need to quickly focus on getting their economy out of the free fall they were in through.

The question that was gnawing at me was what would the Bulgaria and Greece do next. Greece was under the leadership of that bloody madman Venizelos. I should had killed that man when I had the chance, but now he was running Athens. Then again, I was wondering how much had Athens learned from their war with Ottomans just prior to the turn of the century. They only had 200,000 or so Mannlicher–Schönauer in service at the moment. Steyr Arms GmbH formally ŒWG who had built those rifles were now refusing to build more unless they were paid up front given the Greeks were defaulting on their loans they had taken out to build those 200,000 rifles. They were still using MAS 1873 revolvers for christ shakes. Their machine gun count was a joke with only 1,900 total Maxim Machine Guns.

As for Bulgaria? I wasn’t sure. While I was friendly with Ferdinand, he believed he would lead Bulgaria to create New Byzantine. Which I thought he was fucking nuts for that idea. Then again, I was swinging for the fences as well. However, I had far more resources and more importantly I had foreknowledge of what did and didn’t work in another world. They were also known as the Prussia of the Balkans. They had an army far better equipped than the Greeks.

So, what Greece and Bulgaria would do was a vexing question that I needed an answer to.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt V

Laibach, Duchy of Carniola, German Empire
Laibacher Schloss
June 30 1913

When the German Empire had taken over this area of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire Laibacher Schloss had been a prison. The parts that hadn’t been in use a prison was in disrepair as the castle had lost its importance that it once housed. Yet once the Duchy of Carniola would have their own noble house running the day to day affairs of this member state of the German Empire it had been decided to restore this castle to use it as the main resistance of the ruler of Carniola. While the work had taken a while, it was finally ready for moving in.

As part of celebration of this fact both Dona and I were visiting here. Our work in Brünn hadn’t taken long. The Ottomans and Italians quickly agreed to peace. While the Italians gained three provinces in North Africa, it kept the Ottomans from being too badly damage in the process. It also reinforced lessons learned in the Great War. Those would be important when the time came.

Yet as Dona handed me a plate of edible brownie she spoke, “So you going to explain why there was a coup in the Ottoman Empire?” We had only just retired for the day. The cannabis in the brownies we have hadn’t hit her yet as she just finished her first bite.

Taking the plate from her and taking a brownie off the plate, “I wanted to get leadership in place that would stop this trying to play both sides stuff that Abdul Hamid II was doing.” Then I bit into the brownie I had taken and tried to chew fast. I didn’t care for edibles the way Dona did. If up to me I would simply smoke a joint over using edibles, but she liked them. So here we were with these edibles to unwind for the night.

“Now with that coup what do you expect out of the Ottomans?” Dona asked as she sipped her chilled milk.

“Another war.” I replied simply.

“What?” She coughed having heard what I said.

I laugh a bit before answering. “Yes I expect another one but they aren’t starting it. I expect the Greeks and Bulgarians to start it. I hope however, that with some moving things they can fight those nations to a draw. Possibly draw in the Romanians against the Bulgarians to force an end to the war.”

After taking another bite of her brownie, “Why not destroy their economy the same way you did with the Italians?” She wondered.

“With the Greeks you can’t get much lower than they already are. Their economy is hot trash, it’s a reason why our banks are refusing to lend them money unless they sign contacts that are such we still get something out it when and not if they default. As for the Bulgarians? We might be able to but they are still an industrializing nation. Plus, if the Ottomans can win it would do wonders for their national moral.” I said before taking a bite out of my brownie.

There was a moment of silence before Dona spoke again after finishing what was in her mouth, “It still surprises me you are putting this much of an effort to save the Ottoman Empire.”

“Why? I saw what happened if you create a power vacuum in that part of the world. I don’t want that for this world. I don’t know if I’m just delaying the inevitable or saving them. Frankly I don’t care. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t make the effort.” It was a rare moment I could speak plainly and freely without fear of fall out. Dona was the only one I could do this with on even a semi-regular basis and I had always enjoyed these moments.

“So, if it all works and the Ottoman Empire lives on to the 21st century then what?”

“Who knows? However neither of us will see it anyways.”

Naval Matters Pt IV

Freistadt
Naval Base
September 5 1913

Seekadett Martin Koenig was wearing his tropical white uniform as he made his way to where he was to report to duty. The only award he was wearing was the Schützenschnur. He had qualified for the 2nd class version of the award. This happened during the six months of naval training he under when at the German Training Base at Frederickville after selecting service in the Imperial Navy on completion of his time in the Schutztruppe Officer Candidate Apprenticeship. To signal he had done more than a third class which was simply a plain lanyard, near his shoulder was a zine diskette with a single rifle that was over stamp that of a monogram of Kaiser Wilhelm. 1st class was a pair of cross rifles that was over stamp of the monogram of Kaiser Wilhelm.

While Martin had been on active-duty service during the silver jubilee of Kaiser Wilhelm, he had not been awarded the Kaiser Wilhelm II Silver Jubilee Medal. That was reserve for those who had been in military service for more than four years. He had only been in service for a few weeks at that point, so he was not entitled to wear the award.

Koenig had decided on naval service over the Schutztruppe for one simple reason. He didn’t believe that the Schutztruppe would ever have a chance to fight the United States of America. Whereas the Imperial Navy might have such a chance. The vast majority of those who had when through the Schutztruppe Officer Candidate Apprenticeship program had elected service in what amounted affectively to the second army of Germany. Koenig and only one other cadet within the program had elected to join the Imperial Navy instead.

With that choice Koenig had stayed in Frederickville where he had performed even more training. This training was to get him adjusted to naval service and to learn about naval life. Another important part of the training was what was expected of him as a naval officer candidate. With that training behind him he had been given his travel orders to report to the naval base here in Freistadt, or as the French use to call the town, Libreville. He would be stationed here for all of five weeks prior to being assigned to his first sea going billet. That would be on board the SMS Prinz Heinrich Armored Cruiser. She was an older ship that was now serving the role of a cadet training ship.

Till the SMS Prinz Heinrich docked here in Freistadt, he would be billeted in the barracks ship Neptun. The Neptun had formally been the ironclad SMS Friedrich Carl that had started life out in the service of the Prussian Navy before becoming part of the Imperial Navy. While she was not useful in a front line or even second- or third-line roles, the Neptun did serve the role of a barracks ship well enough. Which was about the only role she could perform at this stage in her life. This was because depot ships were expected to have far better engines then she did.

As Martin was walking along the pier side to report to the receiving officer on the Neptun, he noticed the SM U-17. The U-17 had been in operational service for only a few months now and was on her first colonial deployment. She was the first ocean going submarine to enter service with the Imperial Navy and she and her class were meant to be a test bed for long range submarine operations. This deployment was teaching her crew and the Imperial Navy a number of important lessons about submarine operations of this type and what they wanted in a submarine of this type.

Looking at the submarine something about it spoke to Martin. He wasn’t sure what spoke to him but he knew it spoke to him. All he knew at that moment was he wanted to serve on submarines once he earned his commission.

The Ottoman Problem Pt VI

Larissa Plains
Forward Edge of Battle
October 28 1913

Captain Matt Jones of the Australian Army lifted his head up from the fighting hole he was in to see what was happening. That shell had been a little bit too close for comfort. As he move dirt was falling off the newly issued Helmet, Steel, Mark I[1] he had been issued shortly before he had left for home in Australia. The British like others in the war had saw how much good German Stahlhelms had done in the Great War. As part of the Haldane Reforms[2] of the British Army work was being undertaken to equip the whole of the British Army along with all the other Commonwealth and even the Indian Army with these helmets.

Jones after two years in the British Isles he had been on his way home to Australia when the Bulgarians and Greeks had declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Instead of finishing the journey home he had been assigned to be an observer of the war and attached to the Greek Army. When he had joined the Greek Army, they had been on the offensive and marching into Ottoman Rumelia. Then the Ottomans spung a trap on the Greeks and it threw the Greek Army back with heavy losses. What was left of the Greek Army along with hastily called up conscripts armed with Gras rifles were making a stand here at the Larissa Plains to stop the Ottoman counteroffensive.

From what Jones could see things were not going well for the Greeks. The Ottomans had more artillery and more modern arms than the Greeks and their officers were aggressive. Unknown to Jones the decades of Generaloberst Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz helping train their army was showing itself here in the fighting skill of the Ottoman Army even with the lack of funding to give it the best gear out there. The same was holding true on the much more hard-fought Bulgarian Front of this war.

What Jones could see was an Ottoman bayonet charge forming as a rout was forming as he could also see Greek soldiers throwing their rifles and packs down and running as the Ottoman soldiers charged. He was also seeing them being cut down by Ottoman sharpshooters. This was a no win solution so Jones pulled out a white handkerchief he happen to have on his person and hope the Ottomans wouldn’t shoot or stab him as he tried to surrender for lack of a better term. He then raised his hands up in the air with his right hand holding the handkerchief to signal his surrender.

As he felt no pain or blood running down from his arms Jones stood up as he saw the Ottomans reaching the makeshift trench line that the Greeks had been trying to form here. The Ottoman soldiers respected the surrender. Most also understood he wasn’t a Greek as the Australian Officer wore a different uniform than the Greeks.

Soon after Binbaşı Mustafa Kemal came up to him after a number of Ottoman soldiers had passed him by and spoke in German in a simple statement, “British Officer?” The British weren’t in this fight officially so observers like Jones had to be treated with all due respect a man of their rank would be given.

Jones understood enough German to know the gist of the question. “Ja.” Jones had been studying German while in the British Isles. He was no where close to being fluent in the language but he also knew enough that it could be useful later. Plus, with more study he might get to the point of being fluent which would mean more pay for him.

At that Kemal reached over and removed Jones’ Webley Mk IV revolver and snapped it open. That was to make sure there were no live rounds in the weapon which there wasn’t. The revolver here was more a signal to the enlisted Greeks he was an officer and should be respected as such. At that Atatürk returned the revolver to Jones who had accepted the revolver having dropped his hands by this point. Then using his hands to point Kemal spoke again in German as he didn’t speak English, “Follow me.”

Jones followed the Ottoman Officer as he led him back to the Regimental HQ. It took a few minutes to clear the battlefield as Ottoman soldiers were rushing forward trying to take advance of the rout of the Greek Army. Once at the regimental HQ Kemal spoke to a German officer who Jones just assumed was an observer like he was. Unknown to Jones as part of a secret agreement inked between the Ottomans and Germans right after this war broke out that the Germans would assign a number of advisors to help carry the staff load needed in a modern war. Plus the Germans agreed to hand the Ottomans a bunch of surplus military gear they still had to help equip the Ottoman Army. This was in return for all mineral rights within the Arabian Peninsula. Well once the Ottoman Army cleared it of bandits.

After a short conversation Oberstleutnant Max Hoffmann walked over to him. “Sorry about this captain. You are going to be suck here till we can arrange transportation to take you on to Istanbul.” Hoffmann had said in heavily accented English.

“Sir, that’s understand.” Jones replied as he was making mental notes of what he was seeing here so he could put that in his report.

Unknown to Jones even through the Ottomans had routed the Greek Army they wouldn’t be able to follow up on their victory here at Larissa. The Ottomans needed to create breathing space between themselves and the Greeks to allow them focus on the Bulgarians. It was going to be on that front where the war was decided, not the Greek front.

Had the Ottomans had the needed reinforcements they most likely could had reached as far south as Thermopylae before the Greeks could had mounted an effective defense again as their army had been shattered here on the Larissa Plains. Their stocks of modern weapons were gone as were the bulk of their reserve weapons. They were despite talks on going to buy up anything they can get their hands on. Talks with Bannermen which they had high hopes for were stalled on the point of the Greeks were effectively broke. Yet they were still refusing to surrender hoping the Bulgarians could carry them to victory.

Everything in this war now hinged on Bulgaria.

[1] Brodie Helmet

[2] Same name, but radically different goals in what they are trying to achieve ITL from the OTL Haldane Reforms.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIV

The Hague
Kurhaus of Scheveningen
December 15 1913

As I looked around, I knew the board was once again resetting itself. The Bulgarians honestly put up a good fight but once they started pulling forces away from their border with Serbia first than later Romania, they signed their own death warrant. The Romanians with a fresh army had used a minor border incident on November 22 as a casus belli for a war with the Bulgarians. The Serbians using a hastily written treaty with Romania as their casus belli and enter the war a day later. Being attack from the north and west with the majority of their army in the south facing off against the Ottomans the Bulgarians threw in the towel on the 30th of November after a new prime minister came to power in Sofia.

The Greeks follow suit two days later with reports of Italian cruisers scouting off the Ionian Islands. Unlike in Bulgaria that ass hat Venizelos was refusing to resign the premiership in Athens. George I had decided he had enough of the Greeks and abdicate the throne five days ago and took off for Denmark. Then again, I really couldn’t blame George for giving up on Greece and signing the abdication papers and retiring to Denmark.

In this war, his son Constantine had died in the trap that was had been sprung at Veria. Then it had cost him two grandsons George who had died at the rout that had been Larissa with Alexander dying in a small battle between the two major battles that had decided the Greek front in the war. That meant that Paul who was an eleven year old kid was next in line to be the King of the Greeks. Only my “sister” after the loss of her husband and deaths of her first two boys wanted nothing to do with it. She had pressured George into renouncing the rights to the throne for Paul. With all of Sophia’s children being girls that meant the rule of the House of Glücksburg in Greece was done for. Sophia had already boarded a passenger liner with all her children to return to Germany. They would be spending Christmas with me and my family as we got them resettled in Germany.

That left Venizelos in direct control of Greece at the moment as the regent of the nation even through he didn’t have any royal blood in him. So, at this peace conference there was a lot of talk about who would be the next king of Greece. This was because Europe wouldn’t accept a republic, which was honestly I think Venizelos wanted. With a loose cannon like Venizelos through I think everyone would lean on the Greeks to accept a king to rule them. Hell I was half expecting everyone to lean on Venizelos to go into exile.

For the Serbia the big goal was to gain control of the city of Tsaribrod. There were a few smaller villages[1] near Kula they wanted as well, but given how small those villages were it was almost guarantee they would get them. Tsaribrod through mostly Bulgarian in population was the big prize they wanted. As for the Romanians, they wanted only one piece of land. That being Southern Dobruja. As to the Ottomans they didn’t want the land they currently had. The people currently ruling the Ottoman Empire knew they didn’t need the headaches that would come from annexing Greek or Bulgarian lands.

What the Ottomans stated in their opening statement through had created shockwaves not only here but in the diplomatic community at large. The fact they didn’t want any land had been the smallest of the shocks they had created. I would given them credit that opening statement through had been well written and delivery by Mehmed Talaat good.

Aiming solely at the Greeks the Ottomans wanted them to have their army and navy disbanded. Pointing out that this had been the second time in 15 years the Ottomans had to defeat Greek aggression. Further with their borders those forces could only be aimed squarely at the Ottomans. They also wanted the elected leaders of the Cretan State who merged Crete with Greece extradited to the Ottoman Empire for crimes against the Ottoman Empire as outline in the Treaty of Constantinople of 1897 that ended the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. That meant Venizelos would had to be handed over which I knew would never happen. They also put forward the idea of Greece being a diplomatically neutral nation with its independence guarantee by multiple nations. Which I honestly thought was a craftly way of getting Greece disarmed.

There had been the call for a large indemnity from both Bulgaria and Greece which was expected. They also called for Bulgaria to not be allowed to import military equipment till the indemnity was paid off. While all this had created shockwaves to one degree or another as it was clear that the Ottomans weren’t as sick as everyone had thought they were, it wasn’t the biggest shockwave created here. That had been when the Ottomans called for a forced population exchanged between itself and both Greece and Bulgaria. The moments after the Ottomans said that you could had heard a pin drop, follow by almost everyone here sucking air as it processed.

It was clear the Ottomans were pissed but were playing as good a hand as they could. Now the question was where would the chips fall.

[1] The most northern part of areas gained by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under the OTL Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine.

1913 Year in Review

Domestic

Agriculture and Forestry Ministry Amendment

This is another step by Germany to become self-sufficient on food with the formation of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry. This is being split off the Interior Ministry. The goal is to help German Farmer improve yields on crops and livestock. There is also a heavy research part of their mission statement. Unlike the Carl Gauss Society the research within this ministry is funded directly by the government.

As to the reason its Agriculture and Forestry was part of the political compromise needed to get this into law.

Changes Within Government Personal

Otto Appel is named as the first Agriculture and Forestry Minister.

Newly Signed Treaties

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

Born out of the RMS Britannic sinking, the ITL SOLAS Convention set outs to do a number of things. The big takeaways from the ITL SOLAS Convention are as follows. All ships must carry enough life boats for all passengers and crew on board. They also much have at least 20% capacity for all the souls they carry in collapsible life boats. It also outlines how much emergency equipment all ships depending on class will carry. It also increases the number of radio operators on ships.

The big one through is the formation of the International Ice Patrol. This is to be a joint operation between the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany with funding support coming from other nations and basing being done in Iceland.

By the end of the year SOLAS had been ratified by the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Other nations are thinking about it and are being encouraged to ratify this treaty.

The Vienna Agreement

This is an unofficial agreement between the House of Hohenzollern and the Catholic Church that is designed not to see the light of day. Under this understanding the House of Hohenzollern will not arrest priest or other members of the clergy who abuse their positions of power and are pedophiles within the German Empire. With this understanding the Catholic Church will remove these priest or clergy members from their positions within the German Empire to the Church and Convent of San Nicolás de Tolentino in Actopan, Mexico. Once here they will spend their time in prayer and repentance for their sins. If they leave the Church for whatever reason, then the House of Hohenzollern will see to it they are arrested for their crimes within the German Empire.

Potsdam Treaty

Under this treaty the German government agrees to give the Ottoman Empire a large pile of military surplus gear that they have been sitting on since the end of the Great War. Most of this was stuff that wasn’t modernized because it was so outdated that it was decided it wasn’t worth the money to do so. So you are talking Lebel Rifles and Bronze breach loading cannon along with other things of about that age. Further the German Army would send a number of officers to serve in staff positions to help the Ottomans in their war.

In return the Ottomans agree to give German full mineral resource rights to all resources found on the Arabian Peninsula. The Germans would also help clear the Arabian Peninsula of the bandits that currently control the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, when the Ottoman anti-bandit operations starts. This is to happen no later than 1920.

Foreign Regions

United States

It’s improving.

Britain

There’s an arms race, what more needs to be said.

France

Its improving.

Italy

It dropped like a rock.

Russia

Relations are still defrosting but winter gear is still in high demand.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

If Hungary was to invade Hell, Kaiser Wilhelm would likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Panzerwagen IV@

Weight: 7.6 t
Armor: Rifle Proof
Crew: 8 to 9
Armament: 3 x MG98G
Engine: Inline 6 Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 60 kw
Operational Range: 250 km
Max Speed: 62.5 km/h

Panzerwagen V@@

Weight: 4.9 t
Armor: Rifle Proof
Crew: 4
Armament: 1 x MG98G
Engine: Inline 4 Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 48 kw
Operational Range: 300 km
Max Speed: 85 km/h

Österreich Class Battleship

34,100 tons standard load, 12 x 35 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA

Österreich
Westfalen
Posen
Ostfriesland

Rostock Class Light Cruisers

5,300 tons Standard Load, 8 x 15 cm in Single Mounts, 8.8 cm Secondaries, CL Armor/KCA, 28 kts

Rostock
Kiel
Bromberg
Crefeld
Kassel
Halle

U-31 Class Ocean Going Submarine

690 tons surfaced, 880 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 8.8 cm, 1 x 5.0 cm deck guns, 16 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

6 Ordered

@ Performance wise its roughly equal the OTL Ehrhardt E-V/4.

@@ Performance wise its roughly equal the OTL Lanchester armoured car.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXV

The Hague
Kurhaus of Scheveningen
January 31 1914

Since we had all returned from the Christmas and New Years Holidays break work on the treaty signed today had painful with tempers flaring on a daily basics. It had slow worked on a treaty that honestly shouldn’t had taken this long to write. Then again everyone here had an agenda that ran against someone else’s agenda. The British somehow came out in full on defense of the Kingdom of Greece. In the same breath they made it clear that defense was depended on Venizelos leaving Greece to never return. Venizelos might be a loose cannon but he wasn’t that dense. When you got a host of nations all saying you have to leave with all those nations being great powers you leave unless you have a death wish. Venizelos had agreed to leave Greece and was already on a passenger liner to Marseille.

The Bulgarians got the backing of the Russians but not the same full on defense that the British gave the Greeks. I had given the Ottomans, Serbs, and Romanians the same on full defense as the British gave the Greeks. France really hadn’t said much of nothing in this. Then there were the Italians and Hungarians who were both trying to get their two pieces of silver.

It took a fair bit of political wheeling and dealing to get a treaty signed. This treaty was nothing more than a compromise given how many different interests were all tied into it. While it would relieve the pressure that was in the Balkans and some parts of Anatolia it wouldn’t totally remove all of the pressure in the region through. There was also some kicking the can down the road.

Yet it was best one could do short of force of arms which it seems no one wanted to do. My navy wasn’t ready. The Russians were still recovering from their defeat in the Great War plus the following Russian Civil War. The British didn’t have the board set in a way they liked. The French from my read of them had decided time was their friend along with them not having a horse in this race. The Italians were still trying to pull out of their economic slum that I had caused them to have last year. The Hungarians, still didn’t have their shit squared away. At this point the Hungarians were just too high on their own supply.

Still a treaty had been agreed to. The table had been reset and now it was time to follow an old Latin proverb: Si vis pacem, para bellum. As no one was happy with this treaty and it would be only a matter of time before people started to break the terms of this treaty.

Treaty of The Hauge, 1914

Article I. Territorial Changes and Diplomatic Recognition

Subsection I.I: Romania

The area known as Southern Dobruja shall be annexed by the Kingdom of Romania.

Subsection I.II: Serbia

A number of villages near Kula shall be annexed by the Kingdom of Serbia. [1] They further shall annex the city of Tsaribrod.

Subsection I.III: Greece

Everyone who signs this treaty gives diplomatic recognition to the Kingdom of Greece’s control of Crete and near by islands of Crete.

Subsection I.IV: Bulgaria

All the undersign gives diplomatic recognition to the Kingdom of Bulgaria as an independent nation. [2]

Article II. Greece Throne & Other Greek Matters Outside Indemnity

Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta of the House of Savoy-Aosta shall become the King of the Hellenes.

Eleftherios Venizelos is to go into exile in either in the Kingdom of France or Swiss Confederation. Which of the two nations he resides in is his choice. He is barred from entering the Kingdom of Greece for the rest of his life. Further his body must be buried in the nation of his exile.

The Greek Army shall be limited to a force of 50,000 personal who shall man only coastal fortifications. Small arms of the Greek Army shall be limiting to side arms only with no shoulder arms or any kind. Artillery is limited to fixed emplaced coastal artillery mounts with no artillery carriages being allowed. There however shall be no coastal fortifications within 50 kilometers of the Greek-Ottoman land border, nor coastal fortifications that are out of sight of the coast.

The Kingdom of Greece shall be allowed to maintain a further force of 50,000 personal as a gendarmerie force. While they shall be armed with shoulder arms unlike the Greek Army. This gendarmerie force shall not be armed with any kind of explosive weaponry. Further they are not allowed to have any shoulder arms or any arms that weight more than 8 kilos.

However, till Jan 31 1916, the Greek Gendarmerie maybe maintain an extra force of 30,000 personal above the 50,000 outlined in the above subsection. After this date, these extra 30,000 personal must be discharged within six months of that date from the Gendarmerie.

The Greek Navy shall not have a personal strength of over 20,000 officers and enlisted men.

The Greek government may order up to 100,000 long arms from the German Empire. Up to 150,000 side arms may be ordered from the British Empire. No other small arms may be brought by the Greek government prior to 1923. [3] [4]

The Greek Government may only order coastal artillery pieces from either the Kingdom of France or Kingdom of Italy till 1923. Each year the government may order no more than 40 guns of 75 mm or smaller per year. Other limits are as follows per year: no more than 30 guns from 76 mm to 105 mm in bore size; no more than 20 guns from 106 mm to 150 mm in bore size; no more than 10 guns from 151 to 210 mm in bore size; no more than 5 guns from 211 to 305 mm in bore size.

The Kingdom of Greece shall have its independence guarantee by the British Empire.

The Greek Treasury shall have a number of advisers from the British Treasury to balance the books of the Greek budget. [5] [6]

All ethnic Greeks within the Ottoman Empire are to be forcibly removed from their current locations within the Ottoman Empire and moved to the Kingdom of Greece. [7]

All ethnic Turks and people of the Muslim faith within the Kingdom of Greece are to be forcibly removed from their current locations within the Kingdom of Greece and moved to the Ottoman Empire.

This forced relocation of ethnic Greek, ethnic Turks, and people of the Muslim faith shall be done over the next year.

Greece shall grant the Ottoman Empire most favored nation status.

Article III. Bulgarian Matters Outside the Indemnity

The Kingdom of Bulgaria shall not build up fortresses along the length of their border.

The Kingdom of Bulgaria shall not be allowed to import weaponry of any kind for a period of five years after the signing of this treaty.

All Bulgarian citizens in territory that Bulgaria is losing within Article I of this treaty has 6 months to decide if they wish to retain their Bulgarian citizenship and move to Bulgaria or become stateless persons and remain where they are. If they decide to move to Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Bulgaria has to help them in terms of financials in order to move.

Bulgaria shall accept all ethnic Bulgarians who had been arrested by the Ottoman Empire for bandit activities during the war and the direct aftermath.

Bulgaria shall grant the Ottoman Empire most favored nation status.

Bulgaria shall have its independence guarantee by the Russian Empire.

Article IV. Indemnity

All indemnities shall be paid via goods and services to the Ottoman Empire.

The Kingdom of Bulgaria shall pay an indemnity of 10 million pounds sterling to the Ottoman Empire spaced over the next ten years.

The Kingdom of Greece shall pay an indemnity of 1 million pounds sterling to the Ottoman Empire spaced over the next ten years. [8]

[1] The most northern part of areas gained by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under the OTL Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine.

[2] The Ottoman Empire prior to this treaty had viewed Bulgaria as province in rebellion and not an independent state. However, they hadn’t moved against Bulgaria for various reasons.

[3] Everyone kind of figure out that the Greeks are out of guns having lost the bulk of their modern and even reserve equipment in this war.

[4] These numbers include small arms for the naval service in Greece.

[5] Greece is bankrupt and everyone knows it.

[6] British bankers are effectively taking receivership at this point.

[7] Even with the British defense, they understood what was about to happen in the Ottoman Empire if this didn’t happen. With the board not being set the way they like they gave in on this point. Bulgaria didn’t get this through as there was much more support for them than the Greeks in this mess.

[8] With the forced nature of the population transfer and Greece being bankrupt at the moment its getting off lighter with the indemnity than the Bulgarians.

Anti-Piracy Operations Pt I

Somewhere in the Kwanghsi Province, Temporarily German Occupied
Former Pirate’s Base of Operations
March 3 1914

Off in the distance the light cruiser SMS Königsberg was still at combat stations. She was ready to reply with her 10.5 cm guns if they were needed if the pirates that had fled their base decided to return and counter attack. A number of Imperial Marines that had landed were taking up defensive positions in the event the pirates returned to counter attack. This former pirate’s base currently had a German flag flying over which was part on going anti-piracy operations around Chinese waters. With the breakdown of central government a number of Chinese had turned to piracy to make a living.

Chinese pirates normally preyed on coastal shipping in their region as they lack ships to go into the blue waters of the oceans. They also knew that the various navies of the world smack them down hard if they tried. As such they tried to stick with the brown water targets of the coastal trade to pry their trade. This was with the hopes they wouldn’t anger the major sea powers in the region and make their money. Even with this target they would still hit European and American shipping that came within their reach. This led to the Kaiserliche Marine following the Royal Navy’s lead and sitting up anti-piracy patrols in the areas of China they could affect.

Oberstleutnant Martin Friedrich Langholz was part of the shore team of German Marines occupying this base at the moment. He was in command of the battalion of Marines stationed on Hainan, but he was actively taking part in these operations as well. He believed that good officers led close to the front, well for his rank anyways. As such he had stayed onboard the Königsberg during the assault by the Marines under his command and allowed his junior officers to lead the landing parties. This was why he worked with the sailors and their officers on the Königsberg directly artillery fire from their 10.5 cm guns. Once his Marines reported that they had the base secured that was when he when ashore.

Currently he was looking around as various Marines who weren’t digging in were prepping for them to leave this base. This ranged from dealing with wounded Chinese pirates who would be taken back to Hainan for trial to collecting all weapons they found for transport back to the boats they were taking with them. Well at least the ones they found seaworthy enough not to be scuttled outright. The boats that pirates had been using that they decided weren’t safe for the return trip to Hainan would get a 100 kilos parting gift of high explosives to make sure no one could use those boats again.

Langholz was currently inspecting one of the cannons that his Marines had captured during the landing. Langholz because of his tour in the United States had learned how to read English. As such he saw this was a 9-pounder 8 cwt Mark II (Naval Service) made in 1875 built at the Woolwich Arsenal in the British Empire. It was possibly the most modern artillery piece these pirates had. This was because everything else he had come across so far most likely would have been home in the Battle of Trafalgar. Like everything else it would be taken back to their base of operations on Hainan. From there who knows what would happen to it after the prize courts got done with it.

Just as he was moving away from that cannon Langholz noticed a Stabsgefreiter running up to him. Once the Stabsgefreiter reached him he stopped and came to attention. The Stabsgefreiter didn’t salute him as they were still treating this as a combat zone even through it had been over 90 minutes before a firearm had been discharged. “Sir we found something that warrants were attention.”

“Very well take me to it Stabsgefreiter.”

“Aye, aye sir.”

With that the two Marines took off to one of only two buildings within this base. It was expected that many of the pirates who used this based lived near here. However, they weren’t going inland to find them. They had no way of figuring out who was a civilian and who was a pirate so they were letting those ones go. It was also a reason they were still on guard to a possible counterattack. Along the way Langholz noticed three dead Chinese pirates right next to this building. There were blood spots for another two but he assumed those pirates had already been moved out to sea after being patched up.

As they entered the building Langholz saw why he had been needed. There was a single chest in this building. The lock that had held the chest close had been cut and now lay on the floor next to the chest. What however had been in the chest warranted Langholz’s attention. The chest in question was filled with jewelry of various types. The majority of the jewelry were wedding bands. There however were other rings along with earrings and necklaces in the chest along with a loose gemstone or two. “Take it to the Königsberg so we can inventory this.” Langholz ordered.

The two marines guarding the chest spoke at the same time, “Aye, aye sir.” With both thinking this was going to be a good pay for them. Under anti-piracy laws everything they brought back would go before a prize court. Then they would get their share of prize money once the courts figured out what the value of everything was.

As those Marines started off to one of their own boats to take that chest back to the Königsberg Langholz started looking through the papers that were in the building. He didn’t understand Chinese but he decided to take them back and have the intelligence people look over them. He gave orders to take the papers back to the Königsberg as well after a few minutes noticing how many pieces of paper were here.

The Marines would withdraw 19 hours later and left the base ablaze to make sure it couldn’t be used again. Three of the boats not viewed as seaworthy had already been blown to pieces.

Polish Matters Pt I

Radom, Kingdom of Poland
State Arsenal
April 15 1914

Porucznik Władysław Sikorski was currently working on a training version of the what had been the standard service rifle of the Polish Army till last year. Last year Poland and Germany had come to a trade deal that allowed for license production of the famed Gewehr 02. This made Poland only the second nation on the face of the earth to field a self-loading rifle. The Grand Duchy of the Baltic didn’t count in Sikorski’s mind as they were in a Personal Union with Germany. At the moment through only the Kościuszko Life Guard were equipped with them as production was still ramping up.

That didn’t mean through that production of the Karabin wzor 08[1] was winding down. The Karabin wzor 08 only cost 215 złoty to make per rifle. Whereas the Karabin wzor 13 cost 990 złoty per rifle. Poland didn’t have the money to build as many of those as they wanted. It was why Sikorski was working on this training rifle variant of the Karabin wzor 08. They already had a 5.6 x 15 training version of the rifle for troops going through entry level training when they were conscripted into service. No this training version of the rifle was being designed to trained boys and even girls ages 12 to 14 on how to correctly handle a rifle at a young age. Which meant they had to scale these down to allow it to be easily handle by someone of that size.

Even through the Kingdom of Poland was officially allied with the German Empire, for many within Poland this was an uneasy alliance. Outside of King Jan who was a German himself many in the senior rungs of Polish leadership would been much happier to been allied with Paris instead of Berlin. They however understood that would never happen. Maurras was refusing to entangle the Kingdom of France into the alliance web that was shaping up in the aftermath of the Great War. With the Russians wanting to get revenge for their loss in the Great War then throw in the fact that the British were allied with the Russians meant Berlin was the only choice left for Warsaw. They understood it but they refuse to accept it as a long term answer to the defense of Poland.

This mistrust of Germany, well outside of Kaiser Wilhelm, came from the Partitions of Poland at the end of the 1700s. While Kaiser Wilhelm the Second had earned the trust of many in Poland, everyone in Warsaw understood he would not rule forever. Those in power in Warsaw understood that the German Crown Prince was a degenerate with his choice on how to live. With that kind of degenerate next in line they didn’t know what to expect, and if that degenerate would keep with his father’s enlightened thought processes or return to a darker thought process on how to rule.

While with King Jan they could pressure on to make sure his son would marry a proper Polish lady and in time the monarch of Poland would be Polish; they however couldn’t be sure of an enlightened leader being on the throne in Berlin. Further there would always be the threat of Russia lurking in the background. While work was underway to further industrialize the Polish Kingdom, Warsaw understood it would never match the raw industrial power of Germany. Nor did it have the upside the Russian Empire had. As such they would never have the military power that either nation would have. With that they needed a deterrent factor that would keep both Moscow and Berlin from ever thinking about attempting 1795 again.

It was for that deterrence factor why production of the Karabin wzor 08 was still ongoing. The Polish government couldn’t hope to afford equipping every man and woman with a Karabin wzor 13. They however could in time do this with the Karabin wzor 08s. This was from the worse case planning if it came down to 1795 again. In theory there were plans to mobilize every man, woman, and child who could carry a rifle to defend the kingdom and make sure it wouldn’t be sent off to the dust bin of history again.

Children would start training at an early age on how to be a soldier. Currently the thought process would be by time they turn 12 it would be a good time to start training them as they when through school. This way when every male in the nation when through their six months service at the age of 21 years there would be a base skill for those training them to work with. Plus it would allow those selected for 24 months of service to get even further into training.

Poland would never run out of soldiers as along as they had soldiers they would have the ability to defend themselves at such a level that it wouldn’t be worth the cost to defeat them.

[1] Karabiner Model 1898 AZ, Mauser never stopped worked on improving his bolt action guns. Got to have something sell other nations after all.

Domestic Issues Pt V

Berlin
Military Parade Ground
May 30 1914

Today was something I had mixed feelings on. Unknown to anyone but Dona, I had grown up in a nation with Posse Comitatus which had banned the use of military in law enforcement. In Europe through the idea of the gendarmerie was common. As was a uniformed national police force. Still the idea was foreign to me when I got here some 26 years ago. Even now it was still somewhat unnerving to me, but given the choices the formation of the Kaiserliche Gendarmerie was the best way forward. They were officially being stood up today and I was watch ceremony for was taking place.

Prior to now there had been various gendarmeries, but none of them had been imperial wide in scope. The k.k. Gendarmerie which had been there in the former parts of Austria-Hungary which had been that prior to the Treaty of Vienna had either been folded into the Feldgendarmerie or broken into Kingdom or Duchy gendarmeries. As such Germany really didn’t have a national police force prior to today. Over the past couple of years had highlighted the need for one through. What finally drove that home and was the catalyst for this was a mass shooting that took place in Graz by a mentally unstable man who killed nine people and wounded a number more, including a police officer who had responded to the shooting. While he finally took his own life, that event earlier this year drove home the need for this and other things.

With the Kaiserliche Gendarmerie formation I had taken a few steps to make sure we wouldn’t see the militarized police I had seen growing up in the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The Kaiserliche Gandarmerie were issued with a light blue uniform instead of the Feldgrau that was standard for the majority of the army at the moment[1]. While the cut was the same, the light blue was major different from Feldgrau.

Another thing when the crafting of the law that was standing up the Kaiserliche Gendarmerie I had made it a point that only the KG would be the only police force to have automatic weapons and the ability to train snipers. There would be no SWAT team on every police force in my empire. I saw what happened in a nation that allowed to happen and no thanks I didn’t want. I wanted to keep local police forces something that the people there knew and could talk with them without fear of being shot for doing something wrong or just straight up being killed for no reason. Basically I wanted the local police to be on a first name basic with those they were policing.

There however was another law in the works at the moment. It would be the first effective gun control legislation within the empire. While I had a personal love of firearms that Dona never understood I wasn’t about to become a nation of thoughts and prayers; again, no thanks. While there were still groups that had strong ties to firearms at the moment in Germany, there was no NRA or other pro-2A groups that would fight tooth and nail to stop this.

For me the big question was how much did I want to reach into the future grab bag of knowledge to shape this legislation. Currently there was only a single military grade semi-automatic rifle; the Gewehr 02 even with a decade of other nations trying to make one work. That said Browning had dropped something very close to the Remington Model 8 a few years back. Plus, there was the ever-famous Auto-5 that he had designed that was on the market. I knew that would only be the tip of the iceberg with semi-automatic long arms. So did I try and stop those markets before they really got going or do a more general gun control piece of legislation. Even more so with pocket pistols being something every wanted at the moment.

It was always a challenge on how to balance that, and this was something that was testing me like very few things had before.

[1] Some elite units are undergoing field trials for camo base uniforms at the moment.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVI

London
Westminster
July 5 1914

Italian Foreign Minister Sidney Sonnino stood next to his British counterpart Sir Edward Grey. They were posing for the photographic who was taking photographs of this event. This was a historical day for both nations. Both nations were now officially allies of each other instead of being linked as allies prior to the collapse of the Anglo-German Alliance Treaty in 1910.

Both nations were charting new paths on the foreign affairs front. Rome had decided in aftermath of the Germans collapsing their economy to serve Germany with notice they were withdrawing from the German-Italo alliance. That had happened earlier in the year. After serving notice to Berlin about them withdrawing from that alliance talks between Rome and London when to another level as they had been ongoing for a while at that point. It had taken some time to deal with a host of various problems given various aims of both nations with their own allies.

Germany hadn’t taken this lying down. Only a week ago had Kaiser Wilhelm together with Mehmed VI to sign the German-Ottoman alliance. That treaty through was more than an alliance, it was an effort by Germany to build up the Ottoman Empire as there were economic parts to the Treaty of Istanbul. Some this included the build up of an oil pipeline network and oil port at the town of Zonguldak and Dörtyol. There was also a refinement of the agreement to take on the bandits of the House of Saud and House of Hashemites that were threating Ottoman rule in the Arabian Peninsula. Other bandits would be dealt with as well. That offensive would start next year. It was brutally simple. The plan was to take all the oasis in the Arabian Peninsula and hold those. Then force the bandits to come to them as they would need the water to live in the desert.

For the first problem that came in the form of the Kingdom of Ethiopia. Both London and Rome had their own interest in the region. Then there were the Russians who wanted to help their Orthodox brothers. Given the British already had an alliance with Russia that made this part of the treaty tricky to deal with. Finally an agreement was reached where the British in 1930 would turn over parts of Egypt and Chad that they control[1] to the Italians for not going on an offensive war to take over Ethiopia.

As for the second problem that was the Kingdom of Hungary. Then again Hungary was the problem child of Europe at the moment. However, the Hungarians sat on the Fiume which the Italians really wanted as their own. It was also the only major port city that the Hungarians had at the moment and they weren’t giving it up. While some other areas that the Hungarians had held Italian interest, Rome had set its sights on adding Tyrol and Carniola to their kingdom as well. Even through areas held by Germany held more interest than Hungarian lands outside of Fiume, this had to be cover as the British were also allied with Budapest.

Under this treaty the British were officially neutral if a war broke out between Budapest and Rome. They however stated in the treaty they would work vigorous to help find a peaceful end to such a war should one happen. Unofficially the British made it clear they would lean on both nations to end the war quickly with a status quo peace agreement. The British couldn’t have their allies beating the crap out of each other when they had to present a strong front against Germany.

This treaty didn’t touch on France through. France was something of a mystery to everyone as they were rebuffing every offer of an alliance that had been put forward to them so far. There however was signs that the French under Maurras were gearing up to reenter the naval game in a big way. They had laid down three cruisers last year. Further they were expanding two slipways to a size that they could build capital ships again. Further more cruiser size slipways were being formed up as well. Even with that no one thought Paris would pass on a chance to beat down on Berlin, it was just a mystery why they wouldn’t put it in writing. Even then no one here believed the French would be a creditable naval treat to a joint British-Italian Fleet.

[1] OTL Libyan-Egyptian Borders plus the Aouzou Strip. The British decided that this land is worthless and the Italians want it because it looks good on maps.

Mexican Slayride

Veracruz, Mexico, Constitutionalist Control
MS Fritz
July 18 1914

Currently Mexico was in a full-on state of civil war with at least five different major groups all buying for the right to rule from Mexico City. With the ability to rule Mexico City they would have the power to shape the post-Díaz era within the nation. Well, if they could defeat all comers to wanted the same power as they did. Mexico was being flooded with weapons because of this. Some were looking to make some money. Others through had other goals.

General Álvaro Obregón of the Constitutionalist Army was walking up the gang plank of the sole German merchantmen in the harbor that his army currently had control of. While Veracruz was long viewed as the gateway to Mexico City, the Constitutionalist Army didn’t control the capital of the nation at the current moment. Instead, Mexico City was currently controlled by Victoriano Huerta and his army. They however had a limited base of power and many on the international stage viewed Huerta’s time as president of Mexico as limited in duration as he wouldn’t be able to hold Mexico City against the other various groups fighting in Mexico. It was more viewed as a fluke that he had managed to take the city before other larger armies could move on it.

While relations with the United States was improving it was not something Kaiser Wilhelm bet would last long enough to see the start of the next war. He would be perfectly happy allowing the US to invade Canada and force the British to split the Royal Navy between the USN, IJN, and the KM. This however wasn’t going to happen and Wilhelm knew it. Not with Germany being the second greatest industrial power in the world with the Americans currently in the top slot. Those industrial leaders who knew they were pulling away from the British in raw industrial power would demand those in power defang the number two so they could enjoy greater profits.

So instead of having the United States looking aboard he wanted them looking in their own backyard. He didn’t want to build a canal in Nicaragua as that would only help the US and harden their stance against Germany. It would cost a lot of money as America’s effort in Panama was proving. Further it would be unable to hold out for any length of time against a real offensive push. Plus once in American hands it would only be a matter of time before they reopen the Nicaraguan Canal which would be a help for the US.

With that in mind he had been keeping an eye on Mexico. While he knew Mexico would be more than a speed bump, it wouldn’t stand a chance of holding off the US unless the US Army was beyond incompetent. Still it would be useful. It was why he was pushing in the last of the military gear his nation had captured in the Great War and had decided it wasn’t worth keeping and integrating into his nation’s supply chain. There was also stuff that was well and truly outdated and couldn’t be modernized. In this shipment there was 30,000 Lebel rifles along with a further 70,000 Mauser 71/84s. That wasn’t counting handguns, machine guns, and even light artillery pieces or ordnance.

Speaking fluent Spanish Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Canaris spoke, “Its good to see you again General Obregón.” Canaris had started his naval career off in the regular navy. However his ability to speak six different languages fluently had brought him to the attention of Amt für strategische Datenanalyse. The ASD was a joint foreign service intelligence operation between the Army, Navy, and Schutztruppe. They ran a lot of intelligence gathering operations in various forms but they would also take on some other roles. Canaris was performing one of those other roles at the moment.

“Yes Kapitänleutnant its good to see you again.” Obregón said not letting his face show he didn’t want anything to do with the young commander of the German Navy. Obregón and others in the Constitutionalist sect within this civil war didn’t want to trade being the foot stool of the Americans for an European master. They wanted to pay the great powers off each other to build up the strength of Mexico where she could stand on her own. Right now, through they needed guns and the Germans had them.

Army Affairs Pt II

Pilsen
Army Base, Motorized Office
August 30 1914

Major Günther Burstyn along with the rest of his staff was standing perfectly still at attention as Kaiser Wilhelm enter their offices. Burstyn a former Austro-Hungarian officer who had decided to serve with the Kaiserlich Deutsches Heer over going to work for the inbred Hungarians or the always broke Italians even through he had been offer a higher commission than the Oberleutnant rank he held at the time and would be commission as on entry into the German Army. These offers were because Burstyn had a strong technical background that made him a prize officer for both the Hungarians and Italians who were short on such officers. He hadn’t regrated his choice since swearing his allegiance to Germany and the Kaiser.

Since joining the German Army, Burstyn had seen two promotions with his promotion to major having been earlier this year. Further he had sent to Technische Universität Berlin for study in engineering where he had been allowed to earn his master degree in mechanical engineering. Since earning his master’s degree Burstyn had been assigned to either the Motorisierte Brigade over the Motorisierte Office in various positions. Currently he was assigned to head of the research section of the Motorisierte Office.

He had heard from ordnance officers that the Kaiser liked the technical side of war. Some time the Kaiser would have his own ideas on things and he would ask you to look into those. While not every idea the Kaiser had would work out, those ordnance officers had told him over beers it always led to something promising. Given his office had just put out a request for a new type of armor vehicle after testing with armor cars had shown limits to what those could do Burstyn expected that might been what this visit had been about. Then again it could had just been the Kaiser wanting to keep up on what the current position of the Motorisierte Office was.

“At ease.” Kaiser Wilhelm said as he kept walking into the room. At that everyone when back to working on what they had been. Well as well as they could because they were all keeping an eye on the Kaiser who was taking a moment to speak with everyone in the office. However, as the commanding officer of this office Burstyn was staying here to watch how everything when. Kaiser Wilhelm had a way with people from what Burstyn had been told that put them at ease while making them feel valued. From what he was seeing here that had been undersold to him.

About 15 minutes after entering the officer Kaiser Wilhelm was standing in from of Burstyn with his current aid standing behind him. “Major if we could go into your office.” Kaiser Wilhelm said.

“Yes sir.” Burstyn answered as he opened the door to his office.

It took a moment for all three of them to enter the office. Then Burstyn offer Kaiser his own chair behind the desk. Taking the offer the Kaiser sat down, “Shut the door Oberleutnant Rommel. Then I would like the both of you to have a seat.” At that Oberleutnant Hans Rommel shut the door with both officers taking the two seats in front of their Kaiser.

“Major Burstyn I saw your request for designs of new tracked armored vehicles. I must say I’m impressed with your forward thought on these vehicles. Have you thought of a name for them?”

“Thank you, your highness. I was leaning to calling them motorisierte geschützwagen.” I replied to Kaiser Wilhelm.

“That’s a bit of a mouth full. I thought about it, how about Panzerkampfwagen?” Kaiser Wilhelm replied.

“A wonderful name sir.” I replied knowing that the Kaiser had just named this group of vehicles. However, it made sense and just flowed off the tongue better.

“Oberleutnant Rommel, the papers please.” With the name being decided the Kaiser decided to move on to the next part of the reason he was here. At that Rommel got out the papers in the briefcase that was cuffed to his wrist. He then pulled out some papers and handed them to the Kaiser. At that Kaiser Wilhelm looked over the papers for a moment. He then handed them to me.

“Having read your request, I decided to have a crack at it myself.” Kaiser Wilhelm said carrying on the conversation.

Looking at the papers I could see these were hand drafted but well done. It was clearly aimed at the light request and not the heavy one. I had to guess this design would come to somewhere between 7 to 8 tons total which was a few tons under the request for the light Panzerkampfwagen part of the request for designs. It was also armed with a single machine gun, but it was the monster of the MG 05. Given what that machine gun did it was basically light artillery. While it carry fewer guns then I expected. The turret gave it a 360 degree arc of fire through which made up for not having multiple guns. It honestly was an impressive design all in all. “I will have my people work this up sir.” I said looking up at the Kaiser knowing this would have a real chance at adoption.

“I look forward to seeing what you and your team do with this.” Kaiser Wilhelm replied. What neither Burstyn or Rommel knew was this something that the Kaiser had seen in another place and another time that neither officer knew anything about. From there they start talking about other topics related to the work that Burstyn was performing.

The Ottoman Problem Pt VII

Tabuk, Ottoman Empire
Forward Operation Base, German Army
November 28 1914

Newly promoted Hauptmann Heinz Guderian was part of the new form Kaiserlich Deutsches Arabisches Korps. The KDAK was had been formed with the task of helping their new Ottoman allies in clearing the Arabian Peninsula of various bandit groups that controlled it. Guderian and his signals company he was in command of were part of the forward elements of the KDAK being sent to help set up bases of operation for the combat divisions that were slated to show up here in the spring of next year.

Guderian wondered how wise of decision that was. He had been issued with his MP04 with a full combat load of ammunition. Together with his P02 on his belt it was a heavy load out for what was to be operating with an allied nation in their territory as it was still some distance from what was bandit country. Then again from what Guderian had seen in his two weeks in his village there really wasn’t much between where the line of Ottoman control ended and bandit country started and where he now stood.

Currently Tabuk was being garrison by the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Ottoman Army. The unit itself was combat veterans having fought against the Greeks in both major battles against the Greeks. From what Guderian had seen of the 57th Infantry they were a tough lot. They seem from the talks with their officers that bulk of the soldiers were Arabs from the Damascus region of the Ottoman Empire.

Still even with the 57th Infantry here, the German Army had equipped their officers and soldiers with full loads of ammunition. Besides the 28th Signal Regiment that Guderian was part of, there was the 31st Heavy Pioneer Regiment, the 3rd Luftaufklärungsstaffel, and part of the 19th Railway Depot unit all here in this village. They were all busy working on building up the infrastructure needed to support the combat forces that would fighting the bandits.

Guderian’s 28th Signal Regiment was here because they were busy setting up the signal infrastructure needed to run the planned campaign. Even through the KDAK was a corp size formation it had an army level signal unit attached to it. For reasons Guderian didn’t understand they were expecting far more radio traffic than what a corp level formation would be expected to use. This meant bringing in the semi-portable radio gear and setting up the generators needed to run their gear. He knew that work was underway to make all this more mobile, but still at the current time it took time to set up and move an army signal force forward.

The uniforms Guderian and his men were different than what they normally wore. While the cut of the uniforms was still the same as the Feldgrau uniforms that were common outside the Jägers which had their own specialist uniforms, these were a different color. As such they were being called Kojotenbraun as instead of the grey uniforms they normally would wear, these were tan in color. The rumor was when Kaiser Wilhelm had been shown the uniform that Guderian was now wearing it reminded him of the coyote of the Americas he had seen when he visited them. As such the name stuck. While the cut was the same it was the color of the uniforms that had changed.

Another change in the uniform was the headgear they were wearing. While in combat they would still wear the standard Stahlhelm, their soft headgear had changed. While based off the slouch hat of older uniforms it wasn’t rigid as those were. Instead, it was soft cloth that could simply be shoved into one’s pocket if needed. However, the wide brim of this new headgear was really helping the men in Guderian’s unit from getting beat up by the sun too badly.

1914 Year in Review

Domestic

Gendarmerie & Police Act of 1914

This act saw the creation of Kaiserliche Gendarmerie. They were the only police force to have as the law put that can have tactically trained units or trained marksman who are proficient in the use of scoped weapons or i.e. no other police forces can have SWAT units or snipers. The KG will have at least one tactically trained unit in every member state, if not more as needed.

Outside of the police sniper and SWAT roles the KG will take on basically the same kind of role as the OTL American FBI/German Bundeskriminalamt only unlike the FBI they are uniformed officers unless they are performing undercover work. They also have the power to operate in the colonies.

Firearms Control Act of 1914

This law was created in the aftermath of a mass shooting. Under this law it created the firearms license for all semi-automatic weapons and private ownership of fully automatic weapons were banned. To qualify for a federal firearms license, one must be able to pass a test a two part test. The first part of the test is firearms safety with the later part being laws on firearms within Germany. There is also a yearly fee of 50 Pfennig per year for the license. The only people who do not need a license to buy and own semi-automatic weapons are officers and NCOs of the military. However, once they retire, they do need to apply for a license. They however can have the test waved. Further on the semi-automatic front, all semi-automatic weapons needed to be registered with the Imperial Government. Those who own semi-automatic weapons will have two years after this law is signed into effect to either register their semi-automatic firearms with the Imperial Government and get a firearms license or turn their weapons over to the Imperial Government. If they choose the latter, they will be paid market value of the firearms they turn over.

For those who own fully automatic weapons, they have 180 days to turn over these weapons to the Imperial Government. When they turn over these weapons to the government, they will be paid what the market value of the firearm was in question. Defense companies who design and make automatic weapons for the Imperial Government only needs to maintain accurate records of their fully automatic weapon stocks and share those with the Imperial Government.

Another thing this law does is create a number of shooting clubs across the whole of the empire. These clubs that are being charted under this law are tasked with teaching firearms safety to their members and the public in general. It also creates a system to set up new shooting clubs in the future.

The other big ticket item worth noting is there is now a three day waiting period from when makes the offer to buy a firearm to the ownership changing hands. Further if you use a firearm in commission of a crime it now adds years to sentencing in criminal cases. While there are smaller details to this law, these are the big ticket highlights.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

German-Ottoman Alliance Treaty

This is your standard alliance treaty between the German and Ottoman Empire. However there was an economic side of the treaty as Germany wants the Ottomans to stand more on its own feet in terms of economics than it currently does.

Foreign Regions

United States

It’s slightly decreasing.

Britain

There’s an arms race, what more needs to be said.

France

Its improving.

Italy

Break out the pick axes its time to start digging.

Russia

Relations are still defrosting but winter gear is still in high demand.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

Relations are still being found in the gutter but there was a slight improvement this year. That said if the Hungarians invaded Hell Kaiser Wilhelm would still likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Lützow Class, Battlecruiser

31,900 ton standard load, 9 x 35 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts

Lützow

Ares Class

1,250 tons Standard Load, 4 x 8.8 cm in Single Mounts, Splinter Armor, 36 kts

Ares
Athena
Hephaestus
Poseidon
Zeus
Hermes
Erebus
Nemesis
Pontus
Uranus
Phoebe
Atlas

U-37 Class Coastal Submarines

240 tons surfaced, 300 tons submerged, 2 bow tubes, 1 x 5.0 cm deck gun, 9 kts surfaced, 6 kts submerged

8 Ordered

C.II^

Crew: 2
Powerplant: Inline Six Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 125 kw
Maximum Speed: 135 km/h
Endurance: 3 hours
Service Ceiling: 3,100 meters
Armament: Can be fitted with a single MG03 in a ring mount for the Observer to use, not standard through at this time

^Performance wise its roughly equal of the OTL Albatros C.I

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

Naval Matters Pt V

Kiel
Naval HQ
February 3 1915

It would only be a matter of weeks before I would sign another naval bill into law. Only this time the brass tacks of this bill wasn’t dealing with increasing the size of the fleet. While there would be a few new ships and submarines approved for construction the bulk, they weren’t at the heart of this bill as had been the case with past naval bills. Instead, this bill would have a beating heart of a much-needed reorganization of the navy along with major amounts of cash being put into naval infrastructure to support the growing fleet. This infrastructure would be both here at home along with in the colonies. There would also be money going into R&D for future things that the navy would need.

The infrastructure was critical for any chance at victory. It would build two more capital slipways along with a number of cruiser and smaller size slipways would be built. I knew that I would never be able match the Royal Navy hull for hull. I simply didn’t have pockets deep enough to try and I knew it. Instead, I needed a force large enough here in the North Sea to keep the Royal Navy focused on it to allow my colonial and raiding forces do what I wanted. The only way I could hope to achieve a victory against the British was to starve them out. Otherwise, I would learn the same lesson that Napoleon learned on Saint Helena. All the land victories in Europe didn’t amount to jack if you allowed the British to control the seas. So, I needed the large navy at this point to deny the British the freedom of action they would have if I didn’t have a large fleet to focus their attention on.

At the moment I was looking at the models of the ships that would be laid down this year. The battleships were going to see an increase in their gun bore size as they would be going from 35 cm main guns to 38 cm main guns. They however would be retaining a 12 gun broadside as the current 35 cm armed battleships that either entered the fleet last year or currently building. This all would be on not that large of increase in displacement from what they were telling me.

The heavy cruisers we were ordering through were a mark break with the current cruisers around the world. They were switching over to an all centerline armament of eight 17 cm main guns in twin turrets instead of the older designs of cruisers that had guns in various mounts. They would have centralized fire control mounting rangefinders that would have been found only in battleships five or six years ago. Then again, these heavy cruisers were designed to tear into light cruisers and lighter foes and kill them. Anything that could kill them they could out run. While the British were building their own heavy cruisers armed with 7.5 inch guns to counter these and the current heavy cruisers of my fleet it would depend more on crew than anything else. Well, that’s if my intelligence was correct on them.

What however really caught my eye through was the Kreuzer U-Boat prototype that would be laid down this year. This would be the largest submarine built anywhere in the world at the moment. This was because they were projecting a surfaced displacement of around 2,300 tons. This was an attempt to give a U-boat the firepower of a light cruiser along with massive torpedo firepower. These going to be armed with a pair of 15 cm guns in a single turret like system fore and aft of the conning tower. They had a total of 8 torpedo tubes of the latest 54 cm type that had started replacing the older 50 cm torpedo tubes last year.

I honestly had a lot of questions if this Kreuzer U-Boat would work. It was going to be a niche weapon at best but if they could get this to work, it would have a major effect on the course of the war at sea. Well in theory anyways. This was also one area I couldn’t really help steer the ship to something that would work. As my memory when only submarine of this type had been built in that world. It also didn’t do a lot if anything in that World War II. So, it was more taking a shot in the dark here as I didn’t know how to improve on this idea or even if it was an idea we should be looking at.

The Kreuzer U-Boat through was one of the two major prototype ships/boats that would be approved under this new naval law. While it wouldn’t be lay down this year, the German fleet would be getting an aircraft carrier in the near-term future. While not a full-on fleet carrier it would serve as a test bed for what my navy would do in terms of carrier design along with allowing it to master carrier operations.

British Backroom Dealing Pt I

London
Whitehall
April 6 1915

Prime Minister H.H. Asquith was listing to the proposal being made his Secretary of War Field Marshal Sir Herbert Kitchener and Chief of the Imperial General Staff General Sir John French. This proposal was dealing with the interest German Empire seemed to be taking in the Middle East notably the Arabian Peninsula. This proposal wouldn’t bring the British Empire into direct conflict with the Germans or even the Ottomans, but it would bleed them.

Once the two had finished Asquith spoke, “Gentlemen you have my blessing to go forward with this plan.”

Both Kitchener and French were pleased with that. They would be using archaeologist they had already co-opted for limited intelligence uses to funnel arms to various Arab groups in the Arabian Peninsula. It would also hoped that these Arabs would capture valuable intelligence items which would allow them for study by people here in the British Isles. Neither man expected them to last against the forces the Germans and Ottomans were sending into the region. It however would force both to spend more to take over the Arabian Peninsula.

“One more thing gentlemen before you leave, I would like to know why the British Army still doesn’t have a self-loading rifle?”

It was a point of embarrassment that the British Army still didn’t have a self-loading rifle while the German Army was equipping its territorial forces with such weapons. Even the bloody French and Italians had a self-loading rifle in or entering field trials at the moment. Well, the French design from the intelligence reports was their own domestic design at least. The Italians through seemed to be ripping off the German Gewehr 02 rifle design in whole. The troops wanted to get rid of the Short Magazine Lee Enfield, but there were no field trials of a British self-loading rifle to say a replacement was coming.

Kitchener took the lead, “Sir, we can’t follow the Italian path of just stealing the German patents, they will charge us and arm and leg for royally fees.” The German patents on their rifle would be good for at least another five years before they end. All three men knew of the ongoing legal law suit being fought in Italy by the Mauser Company with the backing of the German government over the Italian rifle as it was walking all over their patents. Unknown to anyone in this room the Japanese had started talks with the Germans for the rights to license production of the Gewehr 02 in Japan.

“Currently,” Kitchener kept going, “We do finally have what looks like it will be a promising design to replace our current rifle. It needs more testing and a bit more refinement before we are ready to start field trials with it.” Kitchener had already personally handed this new rifle and knew if they could work out the few remaining problems with it, it would be better than the German self-loading rifle. It would be a totally sealed system that was firing the new .276 Enfield round.

One of the reasons it took so long to get this far was because they had tried to keep the current rimmed .303 round as the round this new rifle would fire. Rim lock was just too big of an issue to overcome. Once they finally received the approval to switch to .276 Enfield things started to come along faster.

As to why the French were so far along with their process for adoption of a self-loading rifle was because at the end of the Great War they simply didn’t have any modern rifles left in service. They had contacted with the Americans to make a large batch of rifles after the war to fix this problem. They however took this chance to replace the old 8 mm Lebel round. They when to what everyone was calling 7.5 mm French. During that time they restarted production of the Berthier rifle but in the new round and just set about getting all new small arms. This choice was starting to pay off for them from what intelligence was seeing in the Kingdom of France.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt VI

Near Mitau
Royal Train
June 17 1915

Currently I was travelling the whole of Germany with my son and heir Crown Prince Wilhelm and his family. We were performing various royal events. We were travelling to Mitau to perform the opening of the Mitau Polytechnical University. This university was going to have a heavy focus on agricultural studies but there would also be other technical studies on top of its mostly agricultural focus.

Dona had been a big help on the educational front as I knew the 21st century German model was far better than the one I came up through. With her help and honestly lead on the subject Germany as a whole was getting closer to something akin to the education system, she knew in Germany of the early 21st century. We still had a while to go before we got to the place, we wanted it to be it was already showing signs of improvement. For that I was thankful. I didn’t want the German education system to become a degree mill system as I had known in the US where you really needed a masters to get standout. Even then it wasn’t guarantee you would as I knew in some fields you really needed a Ph.D. for to standout above the background noise.

I however was also using this time to tutor Junior on the best way to rule over Germany. I have been doing this ever since the Great War but I been working with him more often over the past few years. While I knew Wilhelm in the world, I had come from had died at some point in World War II in that world, you never knew how long your moral coil was. While I was hoping to see the 1950s, I wanted to make sure he was ready to take over in the off even something happened to me prior to then. Today I was drilling home the key to everything.

Junior looked at me after I finish what really amounted to a lecture on the key to everything. “The economy is that important?” I think he was still trying to process everything and why I kept hammering this point home.

“Yes, the economy is really that important. When people have a chicken in their pot and a roof over their head, they aren’t as likely to give into revolutionary ideas when they are wondering where their next meal is coming from and have a make shift hut to sleep in if they are that lucky.” I replied. “There is a reason I have been a champion of social reform. There are two bases you can play to. These being either hope for a better tomorrow or hate of the others.” I kept going but I used air quotes when I said others.

“While its easier to take the path of hate of the others,” I used the air quotes again for the word others, “It also leads you down a dark rabbit hole. Just look at both France and Russia to see that.” France had all but destroyed the Berbers of Algeria. It was basically like the meme I had known in the other world, ‘It’s free real estate.’ The French under Maurras was repopulating Algeria, well the Mediterranean Basin part of Algeria with French settlers. At this rate I believed demographics of Algeria were such that it would always be part of France now unless extreme actions were taken to stop what was happening.

Then there was the Russians. The Muslims of Central Asia were still fighting back against Tsarist forces. They only have moved from a normal revolt to more of a guerrilla war against Tsar forces. The Cossacks that were fighting them had taken a page from Maurras and Action Française. They were simply brutally murdering tens of thousands that resisted them. Those who didn’t resist them were being placed on trains than forced into the Tarim Basin. From what little intelligence I had on that region of the world made the wild west look tame and peaceful.

At the moment I didn’t know what the Russians under Stolypin would do with the region through. They however were pushing a heavy Russification program. It was also leading to heavy immigration from some areas that didn’t have Russian majorities at the moment. Ukrainians by and large were migrating to my colonies in Africa. Other minorities in Russia were travelling to the new world, notably America. They were being joined by a large number of Greeks at the moment as that nation was on the brink of civil war.

“As Kaiser you need to find a way to preach to our people’s better angels and give them hope for a better tomorrow. Its far more challenging however it’s also far more rewarding to do this.”

Family Time 1915

Zürich
Nicholas’s Villa
September 30 1915

This was first for me in this life. This was the first time I was not making a state visit to a foreign nation since becoming Kaiser of Germany. This was a private visit I was making on my own time to visit a friend and taking part of the baptism of his and Cecilie’s son as well to serve as George’s godfather. George was almost three years of age and was being baptized this week. Given that Nicholas was no longer the head of the Russian Orthodox Church anymore, his son George was being baptized in a joint service between the Russian Orthodox and Lutheran Churches. Dona and I were serving as godparents for George.

Cecilie was once again having her belly swell as she was with child again so it would only be a matter of time before I would have to visit here again to serve as role of the godfather again. Then again at the moment it seemed like every year or possibly every couple months I was getting the news I would be a grandparent again. More and more of my children were getting married and starting families of their own. This was one of the two things that I found kept reminding me I was getting old. The other being I sounded like rice krispies in the morning as I snapped, cracked, and popped stretching out.

Yet at the moment I was enjoying it as I took a hit off Nicholas’s hookah. As part of my effort to get cannabis accepted into the mainstream, I had given some to my friend. While he didn’t care for smoking it directly or eatables like Dona did, he found something about smoking it through a hookah that he did like. Damn he had one of the largest hookahs I have ever seen and we were both enjoying it at the moment.

Sometimes you just had to take time to enjoy the little things or you would burn yourself out. Family and friends were important to that, and it was why I had made this trip with Dona.

British Backroom Dealing Pt II

Abu Dhabi, Trucial State
Officer’s Club, British Army Base
November 19 1915

T.E. Lawrence, who was currently serving in the British Army with a temporary commission as captain had just dismounted his camel. He was still wearing his thawb and keffiyeh which was in part an effort to beat the heat along with blend in with the locals. Instead of going to his room that the Secret Intelligence Service paying for him to stay in when he was here in Abu Dhabi his need to get drunk over road the common sense move of going there. Instead, he had made straight to the officer’s club which with his temporary commission he was entitled to visit.

Lawrence and others who had been recruited into this mission that was being run by the SIS had all been granted temporary commissions within the British Army. This was in the off chance they were captured by the Germans or Ottomans. It was believed that both wouldn’t dare perform summary executions of their officers. While it would create diplomatic blowback if captured, they would at least get them back alive. That was the thought anyways.

While Lawrence was wearing native clothing was drawing stares from other officers as he walked at a brisk pace. If not for his white if sunburn face, he most likely would had been forced out of the officer club. Yet because he was clearly white, he was allowed to go on even through many were wondering what was going on. Once in reach of the liquor shelf he pulled off a bottle Gordon’s Gin off that shelf. Lawrence then pulled the cork out of the bottle and took a long hard pull of gin. It took a moment to get the gin down but he took a breath and did it again.

A few minutes later Major Claude Dansey entered the officer club to find Lawrence well on the way to getting plastered. “Captain Lawrence,” He started to confirmed to the other officers within ear shot that he was allowed to be here. “Where is the rest your team?”

“Dead or captured.” It came out slightly slurred and louder than Dansey would have liked. Then again Lawrence had down enough gin in that short of a time that it was already starting to affect him.

At that point Dansey took the bottle of gin out of the hand of Lawrence and found the cork to close up the bottle. “You had enough captain.”

Lawrence didn’t fight Dansey as he just figured out how much he had drunk in such a short time. Yet his mind when about the trip to Riyadh. They have been taking a thousand American Krag–Jørgensen rifles and tens of thousands of rounds of ammo they had brought from Bannerman to support Ibn Saud. This was while not knowing that German and Ottoman forces had Riyadh under siege. As they approach Riyadh they were spotted by aircraft. Then those aircraft had returned and started to drop hand grenades on the column that Lawrence had been a member of. While it wounded a few it was only a taste of what was to come.

While the aircraft attacking them had been a nasty surprise, the armored car attack that had been backed up with infantry broke Lawrence and his team. The Germans who had been the attackers put up a wall of lead between their light mortars and self-loading or automatic small arms. Lawrence had been lucky to escape the attack. As he saw things going to hell, he simply turned his camel around and push it as hard as he dared and then some. He abandoned the gear he had been travelling with and kept only what was on his person and camel. Ever since then he had been working on making his way back to Abu Dhabi. It had been a lonely trip back to Abu Dhabi for Lawrence.

It would be at least a day before Major Dansey got the whole story out of Lawrence through as he would need time to recover from drinking all that gin.

Cloak Then Dagger Pt V

London
Curry House
December 20 1915

Major Ernst Damzog was just getting served with his curry food as his guest reached his table. With his English being accent he spoke, “Mister Lockhart please join me.” Unknown to Lockhart, Damzog could speak unaccented English if he wanted to. For this through that wasn’t called for and there was no reason to let the British know he could speak unaccented English.

“Thank you major.” R. H. Bruce Lockhart said as he sat down. Lockhart was officially a junior diplomat within the foreign office. In truth through he was a member of MI6 who had diplomatic cover, just like Damzog did. Damzog was currently assigned to the German embassy here in London as a junior military attaché whereas Lockhart was currently attached to the foreign office here in London in between postings between various British diplomatic stations around the world.

Once the waiter was out of ear shot Damzog spoke again before taking a bite of his food, “My employer would like to thank yours for the rifles.” The KDAK had captured two different British efforts resupply different Arab bandit groups within Arabia with a third abandoning their gear after a lucky grenade set off the bulk of their ammo they had been carrying. That had netted the Germans just south of 2,500 American Krag–Jørgensen. Rifles that were already on their way to China where there was a large demand for anything that shot lead and worked.

“My employer would like to know what happen to those who delivered those rifles to your employer.” Lockhart replied. Operations in Arabia were being cut back as they had underestimated what the Germans were up to. They knew that the Germans had moved major units into the region but the belief was that these units were going to cover the Ottomans while the Ottoman Army hunted the bandits down. They didn’t expect the Germans to go on the warpath like they have.

At that Damzog put his fork down and reached into his jacket and pulled out a sheet of paper. He then handed it over to Lockhart. “My employer is taking good care of them.” He answered mostly truthfully. Of the British agents they had captured, one had died because he was simply too far gone to be saved. The other 22 had been moved to Schloss Bürresheim. They were there on a suspended death sentence as they had been caught out of uniform and were viewed by the Ottoman Empire as nothing more than arms smugglers. The only reason they were still alive was because they were all commissioned officers within the British Army. As such they still when through a trial that had been quiet without much fan fair which however was still fair. They were given the suspended death sentence before being moved off to Schloss Bürresheim. There they were being well cared for along with being well guarded. There was still no changing the fact someone was being held against their will.

Lockhart looked at the list and saw who the Germans had in their prison system. He also noticed the list included those who didn’t make it. “As for the others?” The list just said who was dead not what happened with the bodies.

“Our friends believe that one must be buried within 24 hours after death and we respected that belief. At a later date through we can pass on their remains to their next of kin.” Damzog said before helping himself to some more curry.

Both men knew that wasn’t possible at the moment as there were very high-level talks on going between the Ottomans and British over the borders of the Arabian Peninsula. Neither side wanted a war but the Ottomans were pissed with the British gun running efforts. Neither man said anything through as the waiter had return with food for Lockhart. At which point both men simply kept to lighter topics.

Near the end of the meal, it was Lockhart that broch the topic, “What would your employer want for their return?”

At that Damzog pulled out another piece of paper. On the list of paper were two names. The first name was a disgraced Major who at one point had been serving within the Royal Artillery. He was currently serving his third year of a 14-year prison sentence. The other name was a former sergeant who had been dishonorably discharged after being stripped of his rank. He to had been serving in the Royal Artillery when he had been uncovered and was on his third year of 28-year. Both had been found guilty of breaking the Official Secrets Act of 1907.

Lockhart knew who both men were, “I’m not sure my employer would make such a deal.”

“It’s the only deal on the table.” Damzog replied.

1915 Year in Review

Domestic

Naval Law of 1915

Unlike past naval laws, this naval law really doesn’t call for a massive increase into naval building programs. The two most notable projects that are to be built are the UC-1 and the currently titled Flugzeugträger. Other research projects were also given funding under this law to see if they warrant building full on size variants. These include hydrofoils, different submarine hull designs, and other various things. This however was classified in this bill and isn’t generally known.

The heart of this bill through was a two fold effort. The first was a large increase to naval infrastructure to help support the growing navy along with help basing it around the world. The second was a reorganization of the navy. The surface fleet was split into three different commands these being the Hochseeflotte, Afrika-Flottille, and the Fernost-Flottille. The submarine force of the navy was reformed into the U-Boot-Kommando. While naval aviation wasn’t viewed as advance enough to form its own command at the current time, the needed nucleus of such of a command was formed under this law. All of these commands now report to Großadmiral Henning von Holtzendorff who now holds the office of Befehlshaber der Seestreitkräfte.

Strategic Reserve Law

This law sets up a strategic reserve of natural resources that can’t be found within Germany. It also sets up research programs to look for synthetic variants of these resources where possible. The stated goal of the reserve is to be able to last for six months in the event of war.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

None

Foreign Regions

United States

It’s stabilized this year.

Britain

There’s an arms race, just now with spies playing their games and all that comes with that.

France

Shoulder shrug territory is about where we are at here.

Italy

Its time to buy some canaries.

Russia

Relations are still defrosting. You might last for an hour now without winter gear before freezing to death whereas in years past you would be lucky to last ten minutes.

Japan

Slightly decreased from the year before.

Hungary

Relations are still being found in the gutter but there was a slight improvement this year. That said if the Hungarians invaded Hell Kaiser Wilhelm would still likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Panzerabwehrgewehr 15

Weight: 16.1 kg
Length: 170 cm
Barrel Length: 980 mm
Cartridge: 13.2 x 96 mm (High Explosive or Armor Piecing)
Action: Bolt-Action
Rate of Fire: Single Shot, Hand Fed

Helgoland Class Battleships

35,200 tons standard load, 12 x 38 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA

Helgoland
Thüringen
Oldenburg
Mähren

Berlin Class Heavy Cruiser

9,500 tons Standard Load, 8 x 17 cm L/50s in Twins/Superfiring, 10.5 cm Secondaries, Cruiser Armor/KCA, 32 knots

Berlin
Hamburg
Bremen
Wien

Mannheim Class Light Cruisers

5,500 tons Standard Load, 8 x 15 cm in Single Mounts, 8.8 cm Secondaries, Light Cruiser Armor/KCA, 29 kts

Mannheim
Mönchengladbach
Oberhausen
Wuppertal
Klagenfurt
Plock

UC-1 Class Cruiser Submarine@

2,300 tons surfaced, 2,700 tons submerged, 2 x 15 cm, 6 bow, 2 stern tubes, Doubled Hull, 16 kts surfaced, 7 kts submerged

1 Ordered

U-45 Class Ocean Going Submarine

720 tons surfaced, 910 tons submerged, 2 bow, 2 aft tubes, 2 x 8.8 cm deck guns, double hull, 16 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

6 Ordered

@The UC-1 is also serving as a test bed to a snorkel.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

The Ottoman Problem Pt VIII

Vienna
Hofburg
February 23 1916

I was once again welcoming another grandbaby of mine into the world. This time it was from my youngest boy and his wife. Joachim and Olga had twins which was a bit of surprise to everyone as outside Dona none of our children had given birth to multiples their first go around. Normally that seem to be happening on their second or third go of it. The oldest was a boy who had been named as Olga’s father Nicholas. The girl who was the younger of the twins had been named Christina. We really weren’t sure where that name came from and I wasn’t going to press for information on it.

Joachim was advancing in his naval career with him been granted a full commission now as a Leutnant zur See. Currently he a junior officer on the river monitor M19 and had taken an interest in gunnery from the service reports I have seen along with the talks I had with him. The Danube River Squadron was one of the two riverine formations in the German Navy, with Joachim becoming one of a small but growing number of officers who were specializing in riverine warfare. The M19 was one of the newest class of river monitors[1]. The M19 had one of the modernized turrets of now decommissioned Brandenburg-class battleships. Those turrets had been modernized to allow higher elevation to allow longer range fire from these monitors.

Those monitors through were few and far between. There were only so many of the 28 cm L/40 turrets to go around plus they were on the larger size for what could get on the river at the moment. They however were serving as schools for future submariners as they were using the same diesel powerplants that were found on U-boats. This was allowing the navy to train up sailors who would go on to U-boats to operate on those engines where the environment was more forgiving than a submarine.

Olga for her part had when about earning her Mrs. Degree. She had thrown herself into the role of an officer’s wife since her wedding. Given what I seen out of her, she would be the great woman in the background as Joachim climbed the ranks of the navy. Granted the cap of the riverine officers was that of Konteradmiral, it wouldn’t had been as high as if Joachim had when to the blue water fleet, but I could see him reaching it on his own merit.

This time should had been a happy time for me as I loved children, and my own and grandbabies even more. Yet leave it to the fucking British to be a wet blanket. While this wouldn’t start a war it was throwing a spanner into the works in regards to what I wanted to see happen in Arabia. The question now was where would the borders be drawn.

[1] I’m not covering a whole bunch of smaller ships in the end of year updates. The ships on the rivers aren’t being cover at all because I don’t want to get that far into the weeds.

What Happens in South America Pt I

Tacna, Chile (Disputed)
3rd Mountain Division HQ
April 6 1916

Tensions between Lima and Santiago had been building ever sense Chile had decided to start a colonization effort of the Arica and Tacna Provinces earlier in the decade. Under the Treaty of Ancón those provinces in 1893 were to have undergone plebiscite on their future and if they would stay with Chile or return to Peruvian control. That plebiscite however never held as Santiago rightfully understood both provinces would vote to return to Peru. While the Atacama Desert was a hostile place to live it had a number of valuable resources to mine that could be sold internationally to help Chile industrialize.

Ever since the Chileans failed to hold the 1893 plebiscite over these provinces tension had been building. It however was the Chilean effort to start to colonize the region with Chileans that brought the pot to a boil through. Chile understood that another war with Peru was a possibly and had been readying themselves for such a possibly. Their navy had been strength and now was centered on a pair of well built British 12 inch dreadnought battleships and four modern German built light cruisers. There were a number of large destroyers and submarines in support of the main battle force of the navy. The army had seen new rifles, machine guns, artillery, and other ordnance brought from Germany to strengthen the army.

Peru had also taken steps to strength its armed forces as well. They however didn’t have the credit line that the Chileans had to call on. Their navy was centered on two ex-French armored cruisers brought for little more than scrap in the aftermath of the Great European War as it was known here in the Americas. While they had those armored cruiser refitted by the British, they were still undergunned and underarmored to the Chilean Battleships. The rest of the fleet was also cast offs built 20 to 30 years prior and had been brought on the cheap. The army had seen more modern equipment as that wasn’t as costly. However, they weren’t as well equipped as the Chilean Army. Plus given they had brought from multiple nations made it all something of a logistical nightmare.

What brought the tensions to a full on overflow boil was earlier in the year when Chile had brought forward plans to fully annex the Arica and Tacna Provinces. Santiago felt secure about this as London and Berlin were at loggerheads over who controls what parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Washington was busy dealing with Mexico and had its hands full with that. They knew Lima had problems with funding its military at the current time. With none of the other great powers having a stake in South America Santiago felt the time was to strike was now.

Lima however couldn’t allow Chilean annexation of those provinces to stand. Even with their military leaders telling them that their armed forces weren’t a match for the Chileans Lima demanded that Santiago not carry through with its planned annexation. Santiago answered by moving forward with their annexation plans. This put Lima in a tricky position. Either they would be forced to accept a major lost of face not only on the international stage but domestically as well. Or they could go to war knowing full well they would likely loose. They decided on the latter. Lima had formally declared war against Santiago nine days ago.

With the sounds of an aircraft’s engine along with some artillery in the background Major Wilhelm Leeb of the German military mission to Chile was looking at the map of the front line here in the region. Both Leeb and his Chilean counterpart who he was working with understood the Tacna front would be a sideshow in this war. For this war to be brought to an end the Chilean Navy would have to destroy the Peruvian Navy to allow for landing operations along the Peruvian coast. Even still the Tacna front could be used to tie down Peruvian troops along with testing new mountain tactics that the German Army was in the process of working out.

Even with the German focus being on Arabia it was still supporting the Chileans. Just unlike the whole mess in Arabia being on the front page of German newspapers it was more a page 15 or 16 story. As such there were still German officers and NCOs helping the Chileans along with learning what they could from this war. Leeb was one of over 200 army officers here in Chile at the moment learning what they could and helping where they could. Here along the Tacna front it was mostly platoon and company level fights as each side battle control of important passes in the mountains of the region.

What Happens in South America Pt II

Almirante Cochrane
Near Isla de los Estados
June 18 1916

Fregattenkapitän Erich Raeder was standing on the bridge of the Chilean Flagship as the Chilean Fleet was making its way through these dangerous waters in the hunt of the Argentine Fleet. As he stood on the 26,000 tons of steel he could feel it in his bones[1]. Battle would be joined soon. The last time he had felt like this when he had been on the SMS Zähringen just prior to the Battles of Gotland Basin and Moon Sound just over a decade ago. He had been a gunnery officer on the Zähringen then, but not he was here to watch how the Chileans performed in the ever-growing war in South America.

A few years prior to the Great War the British had broker the Pacts of May between the Chileans and Argentines. It was that pact that led to the Ottomans getting what the Chileans had called the Constitución Class battleships during the Great War. It had also lead to both the Chileans and Argentines both selling a single armored cruiser to the Ottomans via the British during the war. Yet it was that war that sparked a renewed arms race in South America.

Flush with cash from the war plus the then ongoing Coffee boom the Brazilians in 1907 had ordered two dreadnought type battleships from the British. This caused the Argentines to buy their own dreadnoughts from the Americans after shopping around a year later. In turn this led to the Chileans buying two of their own dreadnoughts the following year. The Brazilians then had ordered a third dreadnought but when the coffee boom turn bust, they ended up selling that dreadnought to the Ottomans. While both the Argentines and Chileans had looked at further dreadnought orders neither nation through had when through with any more orders for dreadnoughts. Instead, they had focused instead on bulking up their fleets with scouting and supporting elements.

As Raeder watched the Chilean officers and enlisted men carry on their duties as professionals Raeder wondered why the Chileans believed that the Argentines would stay out of this war. As part of his studies at the naval war college in Kiel a few years ago he had to take a course on international diplomacy. This was to force officers to officers to understand at times you must give pause and thought to more than the basic military facts on the ground. It seemed the Chileans hadn’t done that.

In early May there had been a fire fight on Tierra del Fuego between the Chileans and Argentines. The current understand of those events weren’t well understood at the moment. It however had led to the Argentines declaring war against the Chileans by the end of the month. When the Chilean Fleet at set sail to seek battle with their Argentine opposite number scuttlebutt was flying that the Ecuadorians had entered the war on the side of the Chileans. However that wasn’t clear at the moment, and Raeder knew he wouldn’t know if that was the truth or not till be returned to port.

What however was clear was that the Argentine declaration of war had caused the Brazilians to mobilize their armed forces. That would likely force the rest of the South American nations to follow suit. It was more than likely the whole of South America would be at war by the end of the year. With the United States engaged in a messy war in Mexico they weren’t in a position to force South America to stop fighting. Or that’s how Raeder saw it.

The call caused Raeder to step back from the thought process of the international diplomatic mess that South America was becoming. That call was, “Enemy Ships Spotted!” It had come out in Spanish. While prior to his current posting Raeder had been only fluent in German and Russian, he had learned Spanish to take his current billet. While he wasn’t fluent in Spanish yet, he was at least conversational in it.

Looking where everyone of the Chilean command staff was looking Raeder picked out the Argentine battleships at distance. Currently all the guns on boat sides were silent. Then again, the weather sucked at the moment and it most likely was making it a challenge for those in the range house to get a good distance. So, both ships were closing in on each other but the guns were still silence for the moment even if they were cocked, locked, and ready to go.

For the next few minutes signal flags on both sides were hosted while each side was working to best position themselves in this battle. Then the admiral who was leading the Chilean fleet gave a nod to the captain of the Almirante Cochrane. The captain then called out, “Fire the dye marker! Stand by for half salvo fire!”

The idea for the dye marker had been a listen drawn from German battles against the Russians in the North Sea during the Great War. This however would be the first operational use of it. Then the number 2 gun on the superfiring forward turret fired at the Argentine battleline at a distance of 15,000 meters. Battle had been joined.

[1] Faster, better armored, better built, and better sea boats variants of the Tegetthoff Class of OTL.

What Happens in South America Pt III Looking Back

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Social Sciences Building
April 20 2020

Louis was taking his seat in Ph.D. Candidate Zuzanna Vogel’s history class. There were still a few minutes before class would be starting so pulling out his tablet, so he could start to read up on the upcoming Kiel Naval Review that would be part of the ongoing Coronation events of newly crowned Kaiserin Charlotte. A news reported had popped up on his smart phone while walking here that the list of ships for the upcoming naval review had just been released and he wanted to see what ships would be in Kiel. Charlotte was the youngest person to become Kaiser since Wilhelm the Great became Kaiser in 1888. Unlike the death of Frederick the Fourth through, the death of Wilhelm the Fifth was something that could had been prevented.

Wilhelm the Fifth had been an avid outdoorsman and mountaineer. During his time as an officer in the army he served in the famed Kaiser’s Own Gebirgsjäger-Bataillon 31. To serve in the elite gebirgsjäger spoke to his ability to handle himself in both the outdoors and the mountains. He had decided for his vacation in late 2018 to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. With his skill sets it should had been a challenging but doable climb. Yet he came down with high-altitude pulmonary edema during the accent of Kilimanjaro. By the time both Kaiser Wilhelm V and his climbing party noticed it, it was already too late. He died on the tilt rotor that was spent to bring him to the near by Luftwaffe base for medical treatment.

It was his death that brought Charlotte home from her naval service as a fighter pilot who at that point in time had been the commanding officer of the Marine Jagdgeschwader 28 onboard the SMS Graf Zeppelin. Even through she had already been Kaiserin for just over a year at this point it was only now that coronation was happening. That had been to pay respect to the death of Wilhelm V. That meant a naval review in Kiel was taking place, and Louis wanted to see which ships would be taking place in it.

The list of ships was in alphabetic order of the nations sending ships in the press release. While some of what was being sent by various nations weren’t that surprising others were. Some of the surprises were the Federation sending one of their nuclear attack submarines, and the Russians sending in one of their icebreaker cruisers. What really caught his eye through was his nation of his birth was sending one of its new nuclear power guided missile cruisers. He figured the Freedom Party would send something that might be soon to be decommissioned soon to disrespect the Germans. He couldn’t figure out how that had been allowed to happen given the class or lack thereof that the Freedom Party have been showing over the last decade.

As he was thinking about what that cruiser could possibly mean, Zuzanna walked into the classroom. That meant it was time to focus on his studies yet again. He closed up his news app and brought up what he needed to do take notes for his history class yet again. He knew from the class syllabus they would be covering the South American War today. Zuzanna for her part was doing the normal early class admin task at the moment. Then she got into the meat of today’s lesson. She was explaining the events leading up to the war when back farther than most understood. The total miscalculations of all of the various nations that fought in the war itself.

“The Battle off Isla de los Estados was the turning point even through it was early in the war.” Zuzanna explained. “The loss of the Argentine Battleships at the battle gave the Brazilian Republic the opening they wanted and they joined in the war a month later declaring war against Argentina and Peru.” By that point Ecuador had already entered the war. While both Chilean battleships had been damaged in the battle, the Chileans had the ability to repair one of their ships themselves and get it back into the fight. The other however needed work in a foreign yard to repair all the damage it suffered. That wouldn’t happen till after the war ended through.

Zuzanna kept going, “This declaration of war by Brazil caught the Argentines in a bad position. At the time they were shopping for replacement ships along with setting up for a defensive war till they could once again challenging the Chileans on the seas. The Brazilian Invasion through had changed that. Now they were being invaded from the north by the Brazilians. While the threat of an invasion of the southern part of the nation was there it was remote. The threat from the Brazilian invasion through was far higher. It was this invasion from Brazil that led to the Argentines invading Uruguay in an attempt to capture and destroy the Brazilian Army that was invading them to give themselves the needed breathing room while they worked to rearm themselves to deal with both a threat from the south and a much closer threat to the north.”

Death of a Friend

Oberndorf am Neckar
Hotel, Kaiser Suite
August 17 1916

It seemed 1916 was meant to be a bloody year no matter what I did. First my efforts to turn Mexico into the United States’ bleeding ulcer failed was likely doomed to failure. The Villistas had been on the run from Constitutionalist faction I was supporting there. They were so short on supplies and funding they had decided to raid the United States for both to keep up the fight against the Constitutionalist. Theodore didn’t take well to that. He ordered the army into Mexico to find the Villistas. Then the US Army got into a major battle with Constitutionalist forces. That led to Theodore going in front of congress to ask for a declaration of war. It passed but not by a wide margin. Currently that war was showing the short comings of the US Army as the Constitutionalist forces had a number of battle harden veterans and good staff officers. Both things the US Army was lacking in. So long Theodore won reelection the outcoming of the war through wasn’t in doubt even with the Mexicans giving the Americans a bloody nose.

China was still a blood bath with at least a dozen different major factions running along the coast. That wasn’t even getting into the inland areas of China which was even a bigger mess if that was possible. Each one was claiming to be the legitimate government of China. While we had contact with most of them, we hadn’t given any of them diplomatic recognition as being the legitimate government of China. For years I had been selling weapons to them weapons for precious metals and gemstones and using that money to fund projects here in Germany. Now through with the bulk of the stockpiles that it made sense to part with being sold off, I was now accepting national resources as well precious metals and gemstones. This was mostly because there were companies in Germany now actively making arms for China instead of selling surplus captured gear or hopelessly outdated junk.

Then there was growing war in South America. I had been surprised by the Argentines choice to invade Uruguay as I figured they would when through Paraguay to flank the Brazilians. The only reason I could come up with as the Argies when that route was because the rail network in Uruguay was more built up than Paraguay which was still recovering from the War of the Triple Alliance. Then again it was still too early to tell how that was going go.

As such arms making towns like Oberndorf were booming towns with the need for firearms coming in from around the world. Even places like Russia and France were still trying to reequip from their losses in the Great War along with building up a reserve of weapons. The Ottomans were modernizing their armed forces along German lines along with finishing clearing out the remaining bandit tribes in Arabia. Even with that there was one factory that was in a state of mourning. Paul Mauser who I thought as a personal friend had passed away four days ago.

I had left the on going talks in The Hauge to work out a border in Arabia to come here to give eulogy at his funeral. This man was my friend and I was going to pay my respects. Besides I had been coming and going from these talks all bloody year. The two sticking points were the same they been once everyone got the easy stuff done. The first was Qatar as the Al Thani tribe was seeking to be a British protectorate but the Ottomans did have a small garrison in Doha. So that was making a mess of things. The second one was the state of the border with the other British protectorates in the region. Basically, the only thing we all could agree on this front was no one wanted Rub' al Khali.

Given I was the Kaiser through meant that my speech would be reviewed by everyone. So, I was reviewing the various speeches had written by my small team of speech writers to bring together a speech to reach at while I give my eulogy. I have done this a few times since I been Kaiser, and frankly giving a eulogy sucked.

I heard foot steps behind me. Without looking up from the desk I was at, “Hey baby.”

Dona kept coming up from behind me as she spoke, “You need to give a break dear. Trying to eulogy a merchant of death isn’t the easy task.”

My head started to shake no, “Paul was more than that dear. Plus, this is still a world with might makes right sadly.”

I felt her hands slip around me, “Sadly you are right on both accounts dear.”

Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt II

Paris
Palais de l'Élysée
October 15 1916

Prime Minister Charles Maurras was walking away the party held in the aftermath of an award ceremony that was the first of its kind within the Kingdom. Maurras hoped through that these award ceremonies would become common place that they were be done provincial capital level instead of here in Paris. Maurras was doing everything within his power to increase the population of France. That meant he had pushed for an award for women who had large families. The Ordre de la Maternité came in four classes with the fourth-class award being awarded to women who had five children with the first class of the order being for women who had twelve children. The ceremony he was walking away from was the first one.

To make a women want to be awarded this order it came with a yearly pension. Currently a woman who had been awarded the fourth class of the order would be given a yearly pension of 9,000 Franc per year[1][2]. This money would be tax free and free to spend how they wish for the rest of their life. Those who had reach the peak of the order would be entitled to 40,000 Franc per year[3]. Every decade the amount paid out would be reviewed to adjust for inflation to make sure the mothers of France would be well cared for. There however were a few ways a woman could lose her pension and all those ways meant she had herself in prison.

For Maurras to get his nation here was a challenge in of itself. Since Action Française had come to power, they had to work to undercut the socialist who felt like they had been robbed of their victories to rule France. This led to France adopting a number of social reforms that the socialist wanted. Health care was now a guarantee within the Kingdom. That wasn’t the same in the colonies, but they were the colonies after all.

Along with the changes to health care there had been a number of changes to sanitation laws within the Kingdom. It had also created a number of jobs that while not the types of jobs people would want as a kid were well paying. Together these two things had all but destroyed Tuberculosis within the Kingdom. Before Maurras had risen to power Tuberculosis was much feared within France as there had been little if any efforts to stop the spread of it as the politicians of the Third Republic couldn’t do anything right. Now the number of cases of Tuberculosis within the Kingdom were at a faction of the levels they once were and the yearly number of cases were still going down every year.

Work to getting to this day had been years in the making. To call a Midwife now was free to every French woman who was expecting. This had gone along with efforts to increase the quality of midwives in France along with the medical professional in general across the Kingdom. Even through Maurras hated the Germans he wasn’t too prideful to admit when they had a good idea and steal it for the use of France. He knew France would have to use every trick in the book and then come up with some new tricks all their own if they were to return to being a major force within European Affairs again. So far, all this effort had seen a noticeable drop in the infant mortality rate.

It was like the efforts in Algeria. Action Française had made changes to Code Napoléon in regards to inheritance. This would allow any son of the father’s choice to inherit the family farm instead of the past system of it being divided between all his sons. For the foreseeable future this would be offset by homesteading opportunities in Algeria. Work was also underway to start a buy back program to allow family farms be reunited with some of the family being offer homesteads in Algeria. Granted they couldn’t go back to the massive estate farms of the Ancien Régime; however, it would increase the French population within Algeria along with increasing the economic production of France.

Then there were the subjects that weren’t talked about in polite society when it came about Algeria. Maurras efforts to use the Berbers still in the whorehouses being run by the GSR were starting to slow down. This was because many of those women had been kept bare foot and pregnant since they been put into their current jobs. Their bodies were simply starting to give out from the strain of always being pregnant. This was even with using the information gained by the doctors within the GSR had learned by studying them.

While the number of children being born from this method were slowing down, it had yielded not only a large number of children it had given insights how to better help French women have easier pregnancies. Along with better ways of giving birth. This information was being shared with the public to make it easier for women to make it multiple pregnancies without having the side effects the Berbers in the whorehouses were.

The challenge now was making the millions of these children into good Frenchmen and Frenchwomen. That was along with having them become accepted by the French population at large.

[1] I’m working off this to figure out what the value of the ITL French Franc is. Now I know its not 1922, but that’s what I’m pegging stuff to right at the moment. So in OTL One French France was roughly the equal to .10 US cents. Now take this up it would be Ten Franc for a single US Dollar. That US Dollar adjusted for inflation would be worth 16.25 USD. From here you can figure out what this is in currency you would like.

[2] Using the math in note one, a woman awarded the fourth class of the Order of Motherhood would receive 14,625.16 USD in today’s money yearly.

[3] Using the math in note one, a woman awarded the first class of the Order of Motherhood would receive 65,000.71 USD in today’s money yearly.

Release the Prisoners Pt I

Hamburg
Docks
December 31 1916

Kapitänleutnant Carl Hans Lody was currently in plane clothes at the moment as were those under his command. He wasn’t the senior officer here but he had been tasked with guarding the British spies that had been captured in Arabia. The German government currently held 31 British agents that had been captured in the campaign in Arabia. As part of the recently finished talks in The Hauge about finding peace in Arabia, the British and Germans had been going back and fore for over an exchange of spies.

A deal had been struck a few weeks ago. It had just taken that amount of time to get everything ready for the exchange. A few hundred meters away from where Lody now stood was SS Ultonia of the White Star Line. She was making a docking here in Hamburg as part of a chartered run by the British Government to make sure this exchange of spies didn’t become well known by the public as it was viewed by the Asquith Government as something of an embarrassment. As such they wanted to keep this out of the newspapers as much as possible. For the German part they weren’t going to make a big deal of this either at the moment. They were going to wait for the right moment before letting this deal become known to the public generally.

Lody saw his commanding officer walking down the gang plank with two gentlemen who were dressed in civilian clothing. After much fighting the issue the British finally agreed to release the two German agents that had been caught in the Royal Artillery. Lody saw the commanding officer give the signal that he had the ex-officer and ex-NCO of the British Army with him. Lody however waited till the three of them cleared the gang plank for speaking. “Release the prisoners.”

At that his men started to release the hand cuffs that kept the prisoners from taking off. With their hands and cuffs being behind them it would make running challenging given they were in winter cloths to keep them warm on this night. Plus they had a few barrels that had fires going to keep warm. So as the cuffs were being released most rubbed their wrist at first before walking over to the ship that would taken them home. Many of them through were pissed.

Their careers archaeology was going to be challenging going forward. They were barred from reentry into the Ottoman Empire. Egypt was an already crowded field. The Italians were fighting a revolt in Italian North Africa right now. Maybe Morocco but no one really when there. No sane person would go to work in China right now. They knew South America was a warzone right now so that was out. Central America was largely the domain of the Americans archaeologist so they all would have a hard time getting to work again and they knew it. On the other hand, they were happy they were finally being freed.

Gewehr 02 Pic

Gewehr 02

Based on Jim Smitty's design.

1916 Year in Review

Domestic

Outside a new government forming from the elections of spring 1916 after no one party could form a government from the election of fall 1915, nothing of note here.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of The Hauge (1916)

Qatar under the leadership of the Al Thani clan becomes a British protectorate. The Ottomans are to withdraw their garrison at Doha within 120 days of the signing of this treaty.

The border between the new areas under the control of the Ottoman Empire and the various British colonies/protectorate of Arabia is roughly OTL.

An agreement is reached between Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ottoman Empire on the release of British agents captured in Arabia during the Arabian Campaign of 1915-16. In return the British will release to German agents they hold as prisoners. Left unsaid in the treaty is these agents were German spies within the Royal Artillery.

Treaty of Fukuoka

This treaty reaffirms that the Germans will maintain a Sphere of Influence on the Shandong Peninsula with the Japanese having their Sphere of Influence in Hokkien Province. Its agreed to in this treaty that Germany would not sell arms to the warlord that is ruling the Hokkien Province with the Japanese agreeing to do the same with the warlord that rules Shandong.

While that was the public part of the treaty there was a much larger part of the Treaty of Fukuoka not covered in public and is highly secret. First Germany agreed that in any future war between Germany and Japan against the British Empire and her allies and their victory in such a war Japan would be rewarded with all British enclaves in China along with all Chinese enclaves of their allies, i.e. the Italian enclave on the Yuhuan Peninsula and islands near there.

Further Japan could gain protectorate over British Malaya and British Northern Borneo. In return Germany would be allowed to take Singapore as a colony. This part however is built on requirements for both sides.

The big part of this through was Germany agreed to support Japan diplomatically in any future war in China in the near term future so long as that war does not threaten German interest in the Shandong Peninsula or threaten the International City of Shanghai. This is as Japan informed Germany that they are seriously looking at a war of conquest against the Hokkien Province and its warlord. Final borders through are TBD.

On a side note, for context, Japan has pacified the large bulk of Manchuria it was awarded in the Great War and it wishes to take another bite out of China while they are still not unified and can’t put up a large fight.

It further grants Japan the license to make the Gewehr 02 rifle after the failure of Japanese Semi-auto rifle designs. There is also an exchange program set up for attending each other’s war colleges for both the army and navy under this.

Foreign Regions

United States

Decreasing

Britain

There’s an arms race, just now with spies playing their games and all that comes with that.

France

Shoulder shrug territory is about where we are at here.

Italy

Its getting awfully cold on the German-Italo Border. I believe I see ice forming…

Russia

Relations are still defrosting. You might last for an hour now without winter gear before freezing to death whereas in years past you would be lucky to last ten minutes.

Japan

Stabilizing

Hungary

Relations are still being found in the gutter. That said if the Hungarians invaded Hell Kaiser Wilhelm would still likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Yorck Class Battlecruiser

44,900 tons standard displacement, 9 x 38 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts

Yorck
Roon

Arminius Class, Aircraft Carrier

11,050 tons Standard Load, 10.5 cm and 8.8 cm armament, 20 aircraft, Light Cruiser/KCA, 24 kts

Arminius

Wolf Class Destroyers

1,500 tons Standard Load, 4 x 10.5 cm in Single Turrets, Splinter Armor, 36 kts,

Wolf
Bär (Bear)
Löwe (Lion)
Tiger
Panther
Luchs (Lynx)
Fuchs (Fox)
Jaguar
Leopard
Puma (Cougar)
Alligator
Krokodil (Crocodile)

U-51 Class Coastal Submarines

280 tons surfaced, 310 tons submerged, 2 bow tubes, 1 x 5.0 cm deck gun, 9 kts surfaced, 6 kts submerged

8 Ordered

C.III^/^^

Crew: 3
Powerplant: W-12, Liquid Cooled, 450 kw
Max Speed: 198 km/h
Range: 2,200 km
Service Ceiling: 6,200 m
Armament: Flex Mounted MG 98 modified for aviation use

^Performance wise its roughly equal to the Fairey III

^^Primary Naval use but it does see use with German Army Air Service as well. It can be fitted with floats or wheels depending on what’s its doing.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age.

Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt III

Constantine, French Algeria
Military Parade Ground
February 3 1917

One had to simply look at the artillery battery performing drill with its newly issue rifles to see that things within the French Army was changing. The red trousers and blue overcoats of old were gone. In their place was a light brown uniform. France had learned a very hard lesson about having brightly color troops on the modern battlefield during the Great War. During the war they had tried to replace those older uniforms but because of the blockade of the British never really managed to come close to it during the war. Now through even the reserve units had been issue the new light brown uniform that had been adopted in the aftermath of that failure.

Also gone were the soft cover head gear worn during that war. A few lucky French soldiers had managed to capture a German Stahlhelm during the war and used them to great effect. However, given all the shortages the French Army faced during the war forced all steel to be put into ordnance production instead of designing and equipment their army with steel helmets. In the aftermath through that became of the upmost importance to the army and like with the uniforms even the reserves were equipped with them. Unlike the uniforms through the reserves were still in the process of being equipped.

The rifle that the artillery troopers carried was also different. During the war France had lost vast sums of military equipment. In the aftermath the French had given up on the Lebel rifle all together and focus on building of Berthier rifles. The French Army viewed those as a stop gap at best till something better could be issued. In 1911 all Berthier rifles then in service with the French Army when through a major upgrade program. This saw the rifle’s barrel shorten to 590 mm. It was also rechambered for the new French 7.5 x 57 cartridge which was a major improvement over the old 8 mm Lebel cartridge. The biggest change through was the change from a three round en-bloc clip to a five round en-bloc clip that would eject through the top instead of falling out the bottom when the last round was fired.

Still the Berthier M92/11 was only a stop gap. The Great War through proved that one much have a large stockpile of weapons. It had been to the point the French Army had been issuing Tabatière rifles and had seriously looked at arming whole units with Minié rifles for lack of anything better. It was why the French Army had when through with the needed time and money to upgrade the Berthier. While the French Army had a self-loading rifle that was better than the damn German Gewehr 02, they lacked the money to fully equipped the army with this new self-loader. That would have to be only for the infantry and cavalry. As such along with the self-loading rifle project the French had started on a project to equipped all of the other specialist troops that needed a long arm with a better weapon but one that would be cheap and easy to make. This led to the Modèle 17 de Fusil that these artillery troops were marching by with.

For Charles de Gaulle this was something of a bitter sweet moment. Because he had enlisted underage to serve during the Great War, he had been denied a chance to go to Saint-Cyr. With time served from the Great War he only had to do a single year of conscripted service. Following his one year of service, de Gaulle with his grades he had qualified for a scholarship to attend the Université de Lille. There he studied French literature. It was also where he met his wife; Adrienne.

On graduation he received an offer to teach here in Constantine. Given that the pay was good, he accepted. He then married Adrienne. She was currently pregnant with their second child. Even through Charles had a good life here in Constantine, it was still a bitter sweet moment for him as he wished he could have gone to Saint-Cyr and be an officer within the Royal French Army.

What Happens in South America Pt IV

Outskirts of Buenos Aires
Forward Edge of Battle
April 15 1917

The thunderous sound of artillery was deafening even to a trained artillery officer such as Hauptmann Hans Dallmann. Currently there were everything from light artillery pieces all the way up to the battleship guns of the Brazilian Navy taking part in this bombardment. He knew that the Argentine resistance against the Brazilian invasion was also in its death throws at the moment just from what he had seen to get to this position. Dallmann had been attached to the 6º Regimento de Artilharia of the Brazilian Army as an observer soon after the Brazilians had entered this war in South America. He had been through the wild Uruguayan Campaign then follow on campaigns.

It had almost been enough to win the war for Argentina, or at least give them the breathing space they needed to deal with a multiple front war. They had come within 15 kilometers encircling the Brazilian Army on the shores of the Parana River. That was as close as they came as their invasion of Uruguay had caught everyone off guard, even the Uruguayans. It was that surprise that had allow them to capture the key bridges over the Uruguayan River intact and pull off their massive flanking maneuver. Their mistake through was they hadn’t destroyed the Uruguayan Army instead they brushed it aside while racing for the Parana River to encircle the Brazilians. The Uruguayans had regrouped and attacked the Argentine logistical lines. This had sapped the Argentine Army of strength and logistical power. It was why they had ran out steam so close to their goals.

Since then, the Brazilians with the help of the Uruguayans had rolled the Argentine Army back. Dallmann together with the 6º Regimento de Artilharia had taken part of amphibious assault at La Plata to encircle the Argentine capital and force them out of the war. Dallmann knew things were getting bad for the Argentines as he had moved with the regiment forward since the landing to what was believed to be the final defensive line outside of Buenos Aires he seen dozens if not hundreds of Remington Rolling Block Rifles with dead Argentine soldiers since the landings.

While in Brazil he had seen a number of Comblain rifles in use with the Brazilian Army, they had been in the hands of troops who were well in the rear of the front lines. The Brazilian infantry from what little he had seen had been totally equipped with Mauser bolt action rifles of some kind. The fact Remington Rolling Blocks were turning up on dead Argentine soldiers and in ever increasing numbers spoke to a shortage in modern marshal arms within the Argentine Army. The last time he had seen something like this had been in the closing stages of the Eastern Front of the Great War. There he had seen ever increasing number of dead Russians equipped with Berdan Rifles.

Unknown to Dallmann, he wasn’t the only one who smell blood in the war. Only days before the Paraguayans had declared war on the Argentines. Asunción smell a chance to reclaim some of the territories they had lost to the Argentines during the War of the Triple Alliance. Together with the Argentine Army stripping out garrison units from around their nation to defend the capital against the Brazilian assault meant loses would be light. There was even a growing debate within La Pez about joining the war for territorial gains.

“Cease firing!” Came the call out from the Brazilian Battery commander. At that the guns fell silence over the next few seconds.

At that Dallmann who had been watching the fall of the shot from the 10 cm howitzers of the regiment walked over to the battery commander, “Capitão, what is happening?” Dallmann only spoke Portuguese at a conversational level, but very few officers within the German Army spoke any Portuguese. It was why Dallmann had been assigned to be an observer in the Brazilian Army.

“The Argentines requested a cease fire.”

Unknown to either man the Argentine Army was almost at a breaking point and those in power in Buenos Aires knew the war was lost. It had become something of a game of hot potato to see who would be the one to be forced to request the terms of a cease fire. Once that was decided the goal became to save as much as Argentina as they could.

The World Needs a Drink Pt I

Gleiwitz
Hotel, Kaiser Suite
June 5 1917

I had just returned from the grand opening of the Upper Silesian Canal. In the near future, the Klodnitz Canal which had served this region of Germany would be shut down. Anything that could be reused from that canal would be stripped down and shipped to the colonies for use there. Here through the Klodnitz Canal had rapidly become a bottleneck for the massive industrialized machine that was Germany was transforming into. It was also the first leg in larger and more ambitious canal project. That being a canal to link the Danube and Oder. It was a mega engineering project, but then again the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal project was ongoing and was projected to be finished by the early 1930s.

My mind through however wasn’t on the growing infrastructure efforts here in Germany. No, my mind was on events in the new world. There hadn’t been enough time this morning to finish the briefing on what my intelligence agency had found in Northern Mexico. There had been rumors of this since winter last year. Those rumors had carried a lot of weight, but I had refused to believed them. However, I couldn’t stick my head in the sand and pretend that they weren’t there. As such, I had sent my intelligence agency into Northern Mexico to confirm or bust those rumors. I would have done the same at Veracruz but getting anyone into that port city without official backing of the US government wasn’t happening. From the reports I had seen through Veracruz had turned into a Stalingrad type of battle between Mexicans and the Marines who have invaded.

Looking at the photos that my intelligence agents had taken in Northern Mexico made it clear that it wasn’t rumors. Throwing them down in disgust I when over to the liquor shelf and pulled down a bottle of Johnnie Walker black labor. Opening it up I poured a liberal amount into a glass and made a whiskey neat. Then I downed it in one go. Then poured another one just not as a liberal amount and walked backed over to the table where the briefing dockings were.

“Scheiße.” I said in disgust looking at those photos. I didn’t expect those to become common practice in this world. I wished Dona was here so I could talk to her, possibly have a shoulder to cry on. The fact the US was building god damn concentration camps was sickening to me. The British did it with the Boer, and those damn near turned into death camps. The French did run death camps in Algeria. The Ottomans had their own camps with the Armenians before I stepped in. In Arabia those who had fought back had been forced out of their oasis’s and forced into the unforgiving desert. Now the Americans were running camps in Northern Mexico. From what the photos and other information I was seeing the Americans were only one step away from running their camps the same way as the British had in Southern Africa. Worse yet there were reports starting to filler out of Italian Libya of the Italians doing the same damn thing.

Taking a drink from my glass I pulled out a paper to start to soar out my thoughts. First off, I needed to make an offer to Theodore to see if I could save the children in those camps. Next, I needed to get more observers attached to the American Army in Northern Mexico even if it didn’t really meet the standard of being called a field army. I needed more observers to get more information to feed my OODA loop. Maybe I should also try and start a recruitment drive to pick out any and all skill workers in those camps to save them that fate. That I however would need to work with the Americans on to get that done. Then again it seemed Germany was always short of skilled workers, even more so in the colonies.

Next to the pile of photos and reports on what was happening in Northern Mexico was the report on the Treaty of Rio which had wrapped up the South American War. Peru had folded damn quick after learning of Argentina asking for terms. That however was the furthest thing from my mind at the moment.

Treaty of Rio

Section I: Brazilian Territorial Gains

From Argentina Brazil annexes the Misiones and Corrientes Provinces.

From Peru Brazil annexes the Department of Loreto that is south of the Amazon and Marañón Rivers.

Section II: Chilean Territorial Gains

From Argentina Chile annexes the Tierra del Fuego Territory and Santa Cruz Province.

From Peru Chile annexes the Department of Moquegua

Section III: Paraguayan Territorial Gains

From Argentina Paraguay annexes the Formosa Territory.

Section IV: Uruguayan Territorial Gains

From Argentina Uruguay annexes all the former Argentine islands along the Uruguay River for the full length of the former of the Argentine and Uruguayan border.

Section V: Ecuadorian Territorial Gains

Ecuador is awarded all its territorial claims along with any and all lands north of the Amazon and Marañón Rivers that are in the Department of Loreto not covered by those claims.

Section VI: Other

The Tacna and Arica regions are recognized as sovereign Chilean Territory by all of the undersigned nations of this treaty.

The Paraná shall be open to traffic to and from Paraguay without any delaying actions caused by Argentina.

Argentina and Peru will grant most favorited nation status to Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Argentina and Peru are banned from buying foreign built warships that displace more than 1,500 tons till 1925 and banned outright from having submarines during that time.

Brazil will return to Uruguay the Uruguayan National Archives taken at the end of the War of the Triple Alliance.

Land of the Rising Sun Pt I

Mukden, Japanese Colony of Manchuria
Factory Office
August 23 1917

Isoroku Takano formerly of the Imperial Japanese Navy was sitting at his desk reviewing the latest tender from his former service. Takano had served at the Battle of the Yellow Sea where he had served with honor but lost three fingers in the course of the battle. As such he was medically discharged from service. Even through he had been discharged from service there were people who saw promise in the young Takano. As such he accepted an offer in the aftermath of his medical discharge to study at Technische Universität Berlin.

Once in Berlin Takano learned how to speak German fluently. The main reason through he was in Berlin was to learn about mechanical engineering. While a good student, Takano didn’t earn the rare and elusive Dipl-Ing degree. Part of the reason might been it had been hard to draw drafting works. Still once his studies in Berlin were over he returned to Japan only to be offer a position here in Manchuria. Once again, he accepted and became a member of the small design team of the company he now worked for. The company he worked for built engines for various uses, but lately it had started to specialized to building aircraft engines. Takano had been part of the reason for this shift to aircraft engine as he believed that aircraft were the future.

Takano through kept up on the ongoing events within the Empire of the Rising Sun. He knew there was only one reason why the army would be asking for this number of aircraft engines of his company’s newest design. That the punitive expedition within the Chinese province of Hokkien was just using that as cover. No it was a war of conquest at this point just masquerading as a punitive expedition.

He didn’t have an issue with that. The empire needed room to grow and gain resources. So he put the tender down he started to think how best to get the number of engines requested built as fast as possible. This was because the army was offering a bonus if they got those engines within 6 months. With his growing family and the way the bonus system was meant he would be inline for a nice payday. With his growing family money was always needed here in the colonies.

Up in the Air Pt II

Near Stettin
Military Airfield
October 2 1917

I stood next to Otto von Lilienthal who was sitting in a wheelchair as we watched the latest aircraft the company had founded take off into the air to show it off. Lilienthal had founded Lilienthal Flugzeugbau GmbH in 1907 and was a leader in the aircraft industry. It showed in the new fighter aircraft that were now lifting off into the air. The LFG R. III wasn’t the first fighter of the German Army Air Force but it would be the first one to see more than limited production. Currently my understanding was the plan was for 250 R. III to be delivered to the Army Air Force by June next year. That would be far more than the couple of dozen fighters currently in service at the moment.

Since I first met the man over 30 years ago much had changed in the life of Otto. Not only had he founded his own company, but he had been the first man to achieved a heavier than air powered flight. Further he had become a somewhat wealthy person thanks to the profits his company gave him. Then in 1910 I had elevated Otto into the ranks of nobility. I had made him a ritter for services to aeronautical engineering and science. However, his health was failing him. The doctors didn’t expect him to make it to the end of the year as the cancer he was suffering from was aggressive and rapidly spreading. It was why he was in the wheelchair.

The world of military aviation was rapidly changing through. A few years ago, the British had fielded what amounted to the world’s first fighter aircraft. It however was clearly an early attempt at an aircraft designed to give you air superiority. It was a pusher aircraft that had a two-man crew with a gun on a flex mount. Instead of building a few hundred aircraft to counter that we had decided to build a dozen or so to test ideas and see what we wanted. While I knew control of the air would be important in any future war, I didn’t have the foggy idea about how to design an aircraft outside some very basic ideas.

After testing through and working up on some squadron v squadron exercises it was time to more on to something more. Further other nations were starting to field increasingly large number of fighter aircraft so we needed to counter. The French were building their own designs but the Russians were buying British designs at the moment as their industry was still recovering and rebuilding from the Great War and the following Russian Civil War. So, the K III was our answer. From what I was seeing it was a nimble aircraft as well as powerful. It had two machine guns mounted on the engine cowling that fired through the propeller via a synchronizer.

Otto spoke as the two fighter pilots performed their dance of death in the sky above us. “If only I was younger.” You could hear in his voice that he wished he could pilot those aircraft.

“I understand my friend.” I replied. I knew how he felt. I wish I could still run as I would love to do some things that I could no longer to. The one I missed the most was running during the morning PT session with the Life Guard.

1917 Year in Review

Domestic

None

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

Portsmouth Agreement

This agreement between the United States of America and the German Empire builds off the framework of an old agreement that Germany and the British had during the Boer War. I.e. orphans who are in the various American concentration camps in Northern Mexico can be shipped to German orphanages within the German colonial empire. However, a number of safe guards were put in place by Germany to make sure the abuses of this system that the British part took in wouldn’t happen this time around. Even with these safe guards there will still be some abuse of the system that is being put in place its just going to be on a much smaller scale than what the British did where they basically shipped every kid orphan or not to German orphanages.

Further this agreement builds on that fame work and allows the Germans to recruit people in the American camp system. These people have to swear an oath that they will not partake of any acts of violence against the United States for their release from the camps. If they break this oath the penalty will be death by hanging. The goal of Germany is to recruit skilled workers for work within the colonies where it seems skill workers are always in short supply.

By the end of this agreement roughly 30,000 Mexican orphans and 5,000 Mexican adults had taken part in this agreement.

Foreign Regions

United States

We are now dropping like a rock.

Britain

There’s an arms race, just now with spies playing their games and all that comes with that.

France

Shoulder shrug territory is about where we are at here.

Italy

Yep, ice is forming on the Italian-German border.

Russia

You might last for an hour now without winter gear before freezing to death as relations are still that cold.

Japan

Somewhere between Good and Amazing Grace.

Hungary

Relations are still being found in the gutter. That said if the Hungarians invaded Hell Kaiser Wilhelm would still likely make favorable references to the devil in front of the Reichstag.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Panzer I#

Weight: 2.85 t
Crew: 2
Armament: MG 98/17 (Tank variant of the MG98)
Powerplant: 2 x Inline 4, Liquid Cooled, 18 each 36 total kw
Operational Range: 70 km
Max Speed: 13.5 km/h
Armor: Rifle Proof, Frontal Arc only

Panzer II##

Weight: 6.15 t
Crew: 2
Main Armament(Ausf A): MG98/17
Main Armament(Aust B): 3.7 cm L/20 Low Velocity Gun
Engine: Inline 4, Liquid Cooled, 60 kw
Operational Range: 110 km
Max Speed: 20 km/h
Armor: Light Explosive, Frontal Arc, Rifle Proof all other arcs

Panzer III###

Weight: 14.1 t
Crew: 3
Main Armament(Ausf A): Flamethrower
Main Armament(Ausf B): 2 x 3.7 cm L/20 Low Velocity Guns
Secondary Armament: 2 x MG 98/17s
Engine: V-8, Liquid Cooled, 75 kw
Operational Range: 95 km
Max Speed: 15 km/h
Armor: Light Explosive, Frontal Arc, Rifle Proof all other arcs

Panzer IV####

Weight: 32.9 t
Crew: 8
Main Armament: 2 x 5 cm L/29 Low Velocity Guns (sponson mounted), Flamethrower
Secondary Armament: 3 x MG89/17s
Engine: V-8, Liquid Cooled, 75 kw
Operational Range: 30 km
Max Speed: 7.5 km/h
Armor: Light Explosive all arcs

Kaiser Class Battleships

36,100 tons standard displacement, 12 x 38 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA

Kaiser
König George
Friedrich der Grosse
Kaiserin

München Class Heavy Crusiers

10,700 tons Standard Load, 8 x 17 cm L/50s in Twins/Superfiring, 10.5 cm Secondaries, Cruiser Armor/KCA, 33 knots

München
Prag

U-56 Class Attack Submarine

810 tons surfaced, 950 tons submerged, 4 bow, 2 aft tubes, 2 x 8.8 cm deck guns, double hull, 17 kts surfaced, 8 kts submerged

6 Ordered

C.V*

Crew: 2
Powerplant: Inline-Six, Liquid Cooled, 195 kw
Max Speed: 180 km/h
Endurance: 4.5 hours
Armament: 1 x MG98A (Upper Wing Mounted), 1 x MG98A Flex Wing Mounted

K III**

Crew: 1
Powerplant: Inline-Six, Liquid Cooled, 200 kw
Max Speed: 206 km/h
Range: 250 km
Service Ceiling: 6,100 m
Armament: 2 x MG98As mounted on the engine cowling in use with a synchronizer gear

S IV***

Crew: 1
Powerplant: 9 cylinder, rotary 175 kw
Max Speed: 198 km/h
Endurance: 80 minutes
Service Ceiling: 4,500 m
Armament: 2 x M98As mounted on the engine cowlings in use with a synchronizer gear, and up to 50 kg of other ordnance

SB I****

Crew: 8
Powerplant: 4 x V-12, Liquid Cooled, 290 kw (Each)
Max Speed: 171 km/h
Endurance: 12 hours
Service Ceiling: 5,100 m
Armament: 3 x MG98As, and up to 3,500 kg of ordnance

#Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Ford 3-Ton M1918

##Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Fiat 3000

###Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Medium Mark A Whippet

####Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Mark II Heavy Tank

*Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Albatros C.XII

**Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Fokker D.VII

***Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Sopwith Salamander

****Performance is roughly equal to the OTL Handley Page V/1500

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age. Wilhelm is 58 years of age with Dona being 59.

Other

Japanese Occupation of Hokkien

While not normally something covered here, I figure this was really the best spot for it. Mainly as I was trying to write this up as an update, I just couldn’t get it to feel right. Anyways, using a slight pretense the Japanese started what they called a punitive expedition within the Hokkien Province. That however really is only a front. By the end of the year, they had forced out the warlord that control the areas they wanted and started to set up a defensive front to hold against possible counter attacks from various warlords.

Currently the locals for their part are welcoming the Japanese as the warlord that controlled Hokkien prior to this “punitive expedition” was a real piece of work. That said they are under the mistaken belief that the Japanese will allow them to form their own form of government while the Japanese plan to turn the area below into another colony for the Japanese Empire.

The positions the Japanese had drawn up are roughly as follows. On the coast they had taken Ningde as its most northern advance along the coast with the southern most advance being Changchow. There they used rivers as flanking cover. In the south they followed the Jiulong River till it reaches its headwaters. The northern bank of the Jiulong River belongs to Japan with the Japanese leaving the south to the warlords. In the North they are using the Min River (Fujian) for this again. Like in the south they control all of the river south of it and leaving the northern banks to warlords. They advance as far inland as about where the OTL G205 highway. While this isn’t a perfect border for what the Japanese are currently occupying it gives you guys(and girls) a rough idea.

Domestic Issues Pt VI

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
January 15 1918

“You sure you want to go through with this Wilhelm?” Dona asked me. I was about to cross a bridge that as far as we knew no other nation would have allowed in the early 21st century. While Cocaine had been legal for medical uses in Germany and had been decriminalized for small amounts, in the US it was as far as I knew just outright illegal. Here through we were on the verge of outright total legalization of cocaine within the empire. While legal it was something of a gray area from how the law was worded at the moment. The Reichstag had just passed an bill that would regulate and tax the sell of cocaine within the empire. It still had to get through the Bundesrat which wasn’t a sure-fire thing at this point.

For my part I have been quiet on this front. “Sure? No, I’m not. But I do know what happens when you make something illegal and drive it underground.” I replied.

This was something both Dona and I were in agreement over. The only way to stop the criminal elements was to make sure stuff grew in the sun instead of the shade. By making blow legalizing it would bring it into the sunlight. Well at least in the German Empire things would be in the sun. Maybe in a few of our allied nations as well, but this was not the hill to die on to force it on them. I knew it so it might only be Germany that sees this brought out into the sunlight with others maintaining it in the shade.

Over in the British Isles they had pushed the International Opium Convention late last year. The German delegation to that convention had walked out when the British outright refused to listen to the science. The whole reason we had when to that convention was in effort to stop the forming black market for opium. The British instead decided to use their bully pulpit to enforce their version of morality on everyone else. They were getting a lot of support from other nations outside by orbit on this. France for its part was trying to stay on the fence on the issue through.

Cannabis had been studied in a lot of detail within Germany and it had been found in small dozes that it wasn’t harmful as the British were making it out to be. While cocaine had been researched to a much more limited degree, than cannabis had been here the Reichstag was moving forward with taxing and controlling it. This was partly to tell off the British and partly because we needed more tax income coming in. Hitting the right balance between defense and social spending was a tricky one.

Dona thought about it for a moment, “Maybe when you talk to the reporters tomorrow bring up you would like to see a system put in place to help those who have problems with cocaine?”

I thought about it for a moment, “That’s not a bad idea dear.” I knew using the bully pulpit for that would till things into that direction. In time we might have that, or you might get it now. With politics you never knew for sure through. Perfect was the enemy of good enough. From what I seen of this law it was good enough for the time being.

Domestic Issues Pt VII

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
February 28 1918

I sat back and thought about the bill that was in front of me. The current Reichstag didn’t have any coalition of parties that could form a majority that could form a workable agreement there. After that second election I made it clear that I wasn’t about to hold a third election as from what I see and the pulse I was getting from the German public right now was that it would kick out the same outcome again.

After that I had sat down with the leaders of the SPD, CSP, and NLP which were the largest three parties in the Reichstag after the second election. During this meeting while I wasn’t able to get the three of them to form a coalition to run the Reichstag, I did reach an agreement that would lead to minority rule of CSP and their allied parties that wouldn’t be toppled by the SPD or NLP just out of spite. In return the CSP agreed to bring to the floor a number of pieces of legislation that NLP had ran on. While the SPD and CSP agreed on a number of issues, the SPD was pissed with the CSP for eating into their voting blocs. That was largely from how things were improving in Germany and socialism starting to lose some of its luster. Plus, the SPD was still having challenges in breaking through the more conservative southern parts of the nation where the CSP had been gaining ground there. It was why the CSP and not the SPD were in the driver seat at the moment.

This bill before me had been something that had been supported by both the SPD and CSP, but needed a number of NLP votes to get it through to the Bundesrat. Then they had to worked with the Bundesrat to get it to my desk. While the Bundesrat had removed some of the more progressive pieces of the legislation, it was still a fairly progressive piece of legislation.

Under the Worker’s Act of 1918 would see a number of major changes to how people work within the Empire. It would bring about a 40 hour work week and eight hour shifts. It was also improving the minimum wage of everyone within the empire. In the 1900 Labor Act the minimum wage had been set to 38 Pfenning. Now it was being set at 80 Pfenning[1] per hour of work. That would give a lot more purchasing power to the run of the mill workers of the empire.

The only thing I was worried about with this law was the fact that Germany already had low employment rates as it was. For the last few years, we had been hovering around 4% unemployment. This would be reducing the working shift from 10 to 8 hours per day and taking 10 hours off the working week. While I know this would pay off long term, I was worried about the short-term effects of this law to the economy. I was wondering what kind of ripple effects this would cause. It was times like this I wished I studied more economical history than I had.

Along with the decrease in working hours and increase to the minimum wage, the Worker’s Act would also see the birth of a German version of OSHA. While it would have limited power as the Bundesrat reduced its power, it would start putting worker safety more to the forefront in a number of heavy industries. Simple things like Hard Hats would become something required by law. Prior to this some companies had started to issue them to their workers but it was far from uniform within the empire. Now it would be uniform within the Empire. It would be up to this OSHA unit that would be formed to make sure the laws and regulations under this law were followed. They however wouldn’t have the power to make their own regulations through. That power rested with the Reichstag and Bundesrat.

In return for the NLP giving them the needed votes to get this to my desk, the CSP and SPD had agreed to another law that they didn’t want to see. That was because of what it would be spending money on, but it was needed. And with luck I would be signing that into law by the summer this year. So I picked up my pen and signed this into law to give it royal assent needed.

[1] Ok unlike the French Franc I don’t have a good marker to use from OTL. But using the 1923 USD as a base, I’m setting the Mark to USD exchange rate at 80 pfenning to 1 USD. So for the new 40 hour work week the worker getting minimum wage within the empire would be taking home 638.60 USD per week if my math is correct. ITL the min wage worker would be 1,664 Marks per year in 1918 Marks, before overtime.

A Lithuanian Family Moment

Schaulen, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, German Empire
Schaulen Plattenbau
April 8 1918

Ona Matas could hear her daughter and friend speaking German as they enter the apartment that they lived in. While Ona was working with the potatoes that would be supper for the Matas family, she turned around, “Vitalija, we don’t speak German in the apartment.”

Her daughter Vitalija turned to face her mother and switched to speaking Lithuanian, “But mother I need to improve my German if I’m to have any chance to attend Technische Universität Kaunas.” Kaunas University of Technology was one of three new universities that the Germans had founded within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since taking over the territory from the Russians at the end of the Great War. TUK was a university that had a focus on medicine and science. Vitalija was fighting for a scholarship to attend TUK and she needed to be fluent in German to get the scholarship as both German and Lithuanian were used on campus. It was expected that all students be able to speak both languages to attend.

The Lithuanians language didn’t get the same linguistic status as the Polish and Bohemians had. Simply put too few people within the German Empire spoke Lithuanian for it to get that status. Lithuanian instead was more of a regional tongue within the German Empire. While all primary school students were taught in Lithuanian, there was something of a dividing line for those who when on to secondary schools. For those that when into the Gymnasium route, they would have to learn German as their second language. Even for students who attended Berufsschule, they would take a basic German language course as part of their studies while learning a trade. Yet it was for those who attended Gymnasium were expected to be fluent in German by the time they were finished with their time at Gymnasium.

Ona simply smiled in the way mothers to, “Dear, its still over a year before you can apply for that scholarship. You are home now, and we speak Lithuanian. If you wish to practice your German take your sweater and walk around in the park with Hanna. Dinner will be ready in about 90 minutes.”

“Yes, mother.” Vitalija replied as she and Hanna left their back packs while grabbing their sweaters here to walk to the park that was nearby. Even before the door shut Ona could hear both of them talking in German again. She just shook her head and when back to working with her potatoes.

Hanna was the daughter of a Hauptfeldwebel of the German Army who was stationed within Lithuania to defend the German Empire from the Russians. Hanna’s father was a native of Bonn which meant Hanna was a native German speaker. Unlike Germans who lived in Posen or Bohemia Hanna had a choice on which language she could study at Gymnasium here. That ranged from Polish, Bohemian, Latin, or English on top of Lithuanian. From what Vitalija had told them Hanna had decided to study English, but Hanna had learned some basic Lithuanian as well. Not even enough Lithuanian to be conversational but she understood some basic works.

With the door close Ona thought about what had changed in her home since the Germans had taken over the territory since the end of the war. Prior to the war Ona and her husband with her three children had lived in shacks near the factory where her husband worked. Her son Jonas was likely to end up working in the same factory for lack of anything better in life. The best hope Ona had prior to the war was her daughters Vitalija and Gabija could marry up the social ladder and have better lives. The war had changed all of that.

Alexandras still worked in the same factory that he had prior to the war. What however had changed was he was now being paid like a Tsar! Even with the tax reforms he still brought home over 20 marks a week. With the new wage law set to take place next year he would bring home even more money. Now thanks to the German law about building Plattenbau, they now didn’t live in a shack that had been built out of whatever they could find. They also had an increasingly number of tasty foods on their table as they could afford things now that prior to Germany taking over would have been a dream at the best of times.

Ona’s only son Jonas had written home a few days ago. He was currently serving within the German Army. He was currently a Soldat in a maintenance unit after having been conscripted into the service of the German Army over a year ago. Unlike what had been Alexandras’ path Jonas had something of an education in the aftermath of the Germans taking control of the region. While he was too far behind to attended Berufsschule from simply starting far latter than others, he proved to be a good student. When he had been conscripted into the army his test scores were such, he was sent for training to be a mechanic instead of an infantryman like Ona had believed would happen. Now Jonas was thinking of volunteering for further service in this new fangle Luftwaffe she had been hearing about on the radio news broadcasts.

Her oldest daughter through had taken the route she had expected her to. She had already married even through she was only 19 years of age. She was now living in North Vilnius as her husband worked as a draftsman for an architect. While they weren’t expecting just yet, Ona knew it was only a matter of time before she was a grandmother. Even more so since Vitalija was focused on going to university to study medicine and Jonas hadn’t married yet.

Even here in Schaulen one could see the changes brought by the Germans. Ona had just to look out her window to see the electric tram run by that had been built up to service for public transit. Electric power was now common place where before it had been something only the rich could see. She no longer smelled as there was clean running water to take a shower along with having enough clean running water to drink and cook with.

While she may not had liked how they were trying to push German on them; Ona would admit that the Germans were fair rulers who improved the lives of those they ruled over.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVII

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
June 18 1918

“Scheisse.” Dona said in a very unlady like tone as she was reviewing the briefing documents I had brought to our personal quarters. I had already seen these, but I knew Dona would want to see this before it become public.

It would still be a few days before the scope of this treaty hit the newspapers as it had only been signed not even 24 hours before now. The treaty in question was a peace treaty that ended the Second Mexican-American War. The terms were harsh on the Mexicans; damn harsh. There was a reason that Dona was disgusted by the terms. I was more worried about what kind of precedence this treaty was setting. What happened at the end of the Second Boer War had paved the way for this kind of precedence, but with this treaty it was being reinforced. While I had used a modified variant of the precedence set by the British under that treaty they had signed with the Boer; the Americans in this treaty were taking to the next logical and disturbing level. Together with what the French did in Algeria it was frankly troubling if not outright worrying to think about what this meant for the next major war here in Europe.

The Americans had taken their licks in this war. The Mexicans had proven to be cagey foes but they simply couldn’t match up against America’s industrial might nor its manpower strength. The victory through had been costly for the United States. They suffered over 250,000 casualties in the war, with maybe a third of that number being killed in action in almost two and half year war. The US through was pissed with the Mexicans and were making them pay. Then again it wasn’t the best idea for the Mexicans do to some of the things they did. The Mexicans had suffered even worse than the Americans did in this war. Then again outside cavalry raids into Arizona, California, and New Mexico or as it had changed its name to Lincoln, the whole of the war had been fought in Mexico.

As Dona finished reading the briefing papers she brought her hands up and rubbed her temples. “This is a nightmare. What are we going to do to stop it?”

“What can we do?” I replied soberly. I had a few ideas to reduce the humanitarian fall out of this, but stopping it was out right impossible.

“There must be something we can do!” She spoke with emotion in her voice as she was just as sicken by this treaty as I was.

“Have you ever watched Babylon 5?” I asked setting up where I wanted to take this.

Dona thought about it for a moment, “Maybe a few episodes but not really. Why?”

“Its like one part in one of the later seasons. Mr. Morden asks Londo if he would blow up an island as he had ships there that were putting the whole world at risk. But Morden was betting Londo wouldn’t do anything because those ships were better than the ones Londo could send after them. Plus if he blows up that island he would be killing a lot of his own people. Then there was the bet those that were coming to destroy them wouldn’t destroy a world of billions of civilians on it. Sadly, I’m not Londo and I’m not blowing up an island. I’m not starting a war over this or forcing the Americans to renounced the treaty. As that’s what it would take to stop this.”

From the reports I had seen from my observers this war while not reaching holy war levels of hate on both sides, it was close to that. There would be massive political fall out in Mexico for decades to come because of the peace treaty that was being forced down their necks. Those who were forced to signed this treaty would likely be dead before the year’s end. How they would die I didn’t know but I honestly pity them as they would die at the hands of assassins. That much was clear to me.

I could see the fire in Dona’s eyes about this and that she wasn’t happy about me deciding that there was nothing directly we could do to stop this. “Then what can we do?”

“Help where we can. Try to recruit skilled workers to come to Germany or our colonies. Those without skills we try to feed into Chile. They are culturally close enough that Mexicans going to Chile that they could work out there. Otherwise, we are suck without good choices going forward.” I replied worried about the future of this world.

Luftwaffe Founded

Near Laibach
Air Field
August 1 1918

Major Walter Krüger stood in front of his men of Bombergeschwader 6. This was an important day for everyone here. Today was the day that the Luftwaffe under the command of the newly promoted Hans von Seeckt. He now held the newly created rank of General der Flieger and was in Berlin today being promoted to that rank along with taking in the pomp and circumstance that when with forming a new branch of the German Armed Forces. For Krüger through that didn’t matter as he had his own pomp and circumstance to take care here.

Krüger had lived a somewhat odd life for a new Luftwaffe officer. He was a son of an officer that served within the Prussian Army which wasn’t uncommon in of itself. Julius Krüger his father had served in the Franco-Prussian War with honor. Julius however had died in 1889 when Walter was but a boy. His mother then migrated to the United States to stay with family which was what made him so different than many of his fellow officers. They however returned to Germany in 1895 after things just didn’t pan out in the United States. In 1898 Krüger had looked at joining the Imperial German Navy as an officer cadet. His mother however was dead set against that. So instead, he put his paperwork in to become an officer cadet within the German Army. With his educational background it wasn’t a sure thing he would be accepted, but using some family connections his paperwork when through and was accepted into the German Army as a fahnenjunker.

Assigned to an infantry unit Krüger proved himself as an officer cadet and earned his commission by 1902. During the Great War he fought on the Russian Front where he was awarded the Iron Cross Second and First class for bravery on the battlefield. It was during the events that saw him being awarded for the Iron Cross First Class, also saw him wounded. During that recovery period was when Krüger took an interest in flying. After the war he applied for a transfer to the Flying Corp as it was then known along with applying for pilot training. He would prove to be a good pilot after earning his wings and had been promoted a number of times since then. Which led to his current position as the commander of Bomberstaffel 6.

As for the Luftwaffe itself, it was a growing branch as new units were coming on line almost monthly. It however wasn’t the end all to be all for military aviation within the German military machine. There however had been a somewhat brutal fight over that. There were those who had pushed for all aviation assets be placed under the control of the Luftwaffe. The backers of both the army and navy had fought back against that. In the end Kaiser Wilhelm had stepped in and found a compromise everyone could live with about the formation of the Luftwaffe.

The bulk of the former Army Air Force would go on to serve as the nucleus of the Luftwaffe. The army though would retain some aviation formations to serve its own needs. The big-ticket item through was the army would retain all close air support formations within its tables of organization. This was along with light reconnaissance and transport formations and some training abilities. In return the Luftwaffe would be allowed to guard their own bases with armored cars and infantry. There were many smaller details that the law covered that created the Luftwaffe to make sure both services didn’t create waste.

For the navy through their aviation assets were untouched and would stay totally under naval control. While there had been compromises there as well, it was an improvement over some nations. It also created an opening to allow naval officers with the right backgrounds in aviation to move over to the Luftwaffe. Like with the army the law made sure both the navy and Luftwaffe wouldn’t overlap in procurement. It was very much waste not want not in mind set.

The Imperial Russian Air Force which had formed last year, had total control of all aviation assets within the Russian military machine. Indeed, in most nations there was a movement to form air forces as their own branch within the military machines of those nations. There also was the debate in those nations if the air force should have total control of all aviation units as in Russia or a nuanced answer as in Germany was the answer going forward for their nations. Although in some nations the idea of a third military force was simply dead-on arrival such as in Japan or the United States of America.

Colonial Build Up Pt X

Neu-Straßburg[1]
Town Hall
October 30 1918

Stjepan Novak stood next to his bride as the local registrar did the service. In his homeland of Croatia such a pairing would have been unheard of and would had caused a scandal. A white Christian man marrying a native of Africa? It would have just outright been impossible. Here in Neu-Straßburg through it wasn’t the most common of things but it was far from being unheard of. If Stjepan was a bettering man he would put good money on marriages such as this one becoming more common in the near future, at least here in Neu-Straßburg anyways.

He had been born near Bjelovar in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1896 to a pair of fairly normal Croatian parents. His parents both worked as innkeepers in the biggest town within the county they lived in. It was a simple life even with the Hungarians trying to push through their Magyarization on Croatia prior to the death of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then the Treaty of Vienna happened and things weren’t so simple anymore. With the shield that was Vienna gone the Hungarians took their Magyarization efforts to a whole different level. He when to not liking them to outright hating them because of their efforts to make him a Magyar like them.

Then came the Unbearable Acts of 1911. While the law shutting down all non-Hungarian print newspapers was the straw that broke the camel’s back it was far from the only law there was that drove the non-Magyars of the Hungarian Kingdom to the streets in protest. At the ripe age of 15, Stjepan was one of the many Croats that took to the streets in protest. Then the Hungarian Army came in to clear the streets and one thing led to another and shots rang out.

After that everything became a blur. One minute he was face to face with a line of Hungarian soldiers with their bayonets affixed to their rifles. The next thing he knew he had blood on his hands while he held his best friend while he was dying with four Hungarian soldiers yelling at him with their bayonets centimeters away from poking him. Then he was in a prison cell with a light that wouldn’t turn off and a bucket. There was nothing else in that cell, a cell that he called his home for the next three months when the Hungarians weren’t beating the ever-living crap out him during “interrogation” sessions. After the first few beatings he told them whatever they wanted to hear just to get the beatings to stop.

He was then taken to Rijeka. By this point he was around 15 kilos lighter and had three broken ribs along with a number of cracked ribs. There he met a German immigration officer who laid out a number of choices along with explaining what happened since he had been in prison. He asked about his parents but the German immigration officer who was handling his case informed his parents were dead. With really no ties to Europe he decided to take up the offer to the Kongo for living in an orphanage there till he became of age.

In 1912 he received a letter informing him since his parents didn’t have a will their estate had went before a probate court. In the ruling the court stated that since it was not possible give amnesty to dead people; as such the state was seizing the estate for crimes committed against the Kingdom of Hungary. That meant he received nothing which was a painful blow. What Stjepan didn’t know this was a tactic that Budapest was using to avoid paying out money that would leave the nation where possible. It was far too common of a tactic through.

For Stjepan through he wouldn’t let that define him. After landing in an orphanage given his age, he was already past the age where orphans had decided on what they wanted to apprentice in. So, he along with the other orphans that had come out of Hungary and had ended up in the Kongo had a crash course in German given they were the only ones who spoke Croat. Along with that crash course in German they were given a fast run of stuff they could apprentice in. Stjepan had decided to apprentice in being a machinist.

His bride through had her own story. She was 19 to his 22 years of age. Gisele was one of the first generation of native born Africans to been through the German education system. Whereas Stjepan only spoke passable German and still wasn’t any close to being fluent in German, his soon to be wife was fluent in German along with her native tongue. While Gisele as she had Germanized her name to was an above average student, she didn’t do well enough to admitted to the local gymnasium. Instead, she attended the Fachoberschule and studied on how to be a secretary.

It was honestly how the young couple met. Stjepan was a junior machinist for the railroad when he met Gisele who had just been hired on to be a secretary. Soon Stjepan was courting Gisele. While there was something of a language barrier as Stjepan was still trying to master German, Gisele as it turned out was a good teacher and help him. It however was slow going through. Still, he spoke enough German to end up here to be married today.

While both of them were still in junior positions within the Railroad they felt like they had bright futures ahead for them as the registrar informed them they were now man and wife.

[1] OTL Kananga, DRC

1918 Year in Review

Domestic

Cocaine & Opium Control Act of 1918

This law deals with both Cocaine and Opium which prior to this law hadn’t really been touched on in German law. The first thing this law touches on is not the drugs themselves but education. It mandates that in every health class that students who are in their 7th to 8th year of school are thought about the dangers of both Cocaine and Opium uses. What grade is left to the various member states of the empire through. Each member state through must follow the same syllabus on this subject. While neither are as well researched as cannabis within Germany, what researched that has been done has show both are highly addictive and can cause a great deal of harm from prolong use. This law also funds further research into both substances and to look for better ways to cure addiction.

After that it turns dealing with cocaine directly. Under this law cocaine remains a legal substance within Germany, however with fairly tight controls placed on it. Non-medical use sells are limited to less than 2 grams of cocaine in products at any one time. Sellers of non-medical use cocaine much have a license to sell it along with training to spot someone who addiction to the substance. Said training is needed prior to be granted a license to sell cocaine. If they spot someone with addiction, they must legally offer this person medical help to them with their addiction. This help is in the form of informing them of where they can find help along saying they are possibly addicted to cocaine. Failure to do so will lead to fines, then jail time with the license to sell cocaine being revoked. Fines and then jail time with their license being revoked can also happen if they fail to keep up with their records of sells of cocaine.

Medical sells of cocaine aren’t limited by amounts. However, practicing doctors must keep details records of how much cocaine they are using and on which patients with the amounts for each dose. Further unless the patient is unable to give their consent and the doctor believes that there is no other recourse expect the medical use of cocaine, the doctor must receive the consent of the patient prior to the medical use of cocaine. Failure to receive consent of the patient for medical use of cocaine will lead to jail time and lost of one’s medical license. Failure to keep up with all records needed for the medical use of cocaine will start off with fines, but can lead to jail time along with the lost of one’s medical license.

Non-medical use of opium is outright banned within the empire. Use of medical opium or opium based substances is still legal within the empire through. As with the use of medical cocaine doctors must receive the consent of a patient prior to giving them a medical based substance that has ANY opium in it unless the patient is unable to give consent and the doctor sees no other recourse but to give them an opium-based substance. They also must keep track of how much opium base substance people have. After point X given (I’m not naming it as I’m not a doctor), the doctor must start looking for the signs of addiction. If signs of addiction are spotted the doctors are legally obligated to help their patient break their addiction to opium.

The final topics of this law as follows. No one can add opium or cocaine to any substance and sell it without making it clear either substance is in this product. This law gives everyone a three year grace people to gain need licenses and to undergo needed training. However, the education and marking parts comes into effect at the start of the next fiscal year.

Workers Act of 1918

This act does a number of things to improve the life of workers within the empire. In Germany proper it raises the minimum wage to 80 Pfenning per hour. In the colonies, its also risen to the same amount in colonial currency. Further it also reduces the working day from ten to eight hours per day. Within the Ministry of Labor it creates a new department to deal with various safety concerns that comes with job related needs. This department however has no power to make regulations as that power still rest with the Reichstag. Under this law through basic things such as hard hats, gloves, and other PPE are spelled out for use in various industries.

Tax Reform Act of 1918

Ok I’m not sure enough on figures to give you numbers here. However there was a major tax reform which was to modernize the tax codes within the empire.

Luftwaffe Act of 1918

This law outlines the formation of the Luftwaffe which is split off from the Army as its own service. The bulk of the Army Air Force forms the nucleus of the new Luftwaffe. However, for the next 18 months its possible for members of the navy to transfer over to the Luftwaffe if they are in the Fleet Air Arm. The Luftwaffe however is not the end all be all for military aviation within the Empire. Under this law the navy’s aviation remains untouched and totally under the control of the navy. The army while losing the bulk of its aviation assets, it retains all close air support units. It also has what this act calls light reconnaissance and transport assets. While its not stated its understood the army also will have its own pilot training program.

The Luftwaffe will have what are known as Luftwaffe Ground Regiments. These regiments are meant to guard airbases from possible forms of attack. Currently the Luftwaffe is allowed to have up to three such regiments. (Think RAF Regiment for these regiments)

However this law makes it clear that the three different services can’t have multiple programs with all the same goals. Small arms and armored cars development will remain with the army but both the navy and Luftwaffe will have a seat on any board looking at future designs. Basic trainers boards will be headed by the Luftwaffe but have a seat for the navy and army. Further the Luftwaffe will buy Naval Aircraft for their own uses, just they don’t have to be navalized. As such the Luftwaffe will have a seat on all naval aircraft boards. In the reverse the navy will have the option to buy Luftwaffe aircraft but it will not be forced. Again, they will have a seat on the boards for all aircraft.

Infrastructure Act of 1918

There was some debate if this should had been an amendment to the constitution or not. It was however to go with an act and see what the courts rule. However, it creates a new ministry, this is the Ministry of Public Works. This however is more a clearing house to make sure all public works being funded by imperial money are up to snuff and fraud is kept in checked. Its powers are limited like other ministries that are more clearing houses than the end all to be all.

Further it gives funding to another round of infrastructure building within the empire. These range from canals, railroad improvements, port improvements, airport improvements, and so on.

Changes Within Government Personal

Friedrich von Payer becomes the Chancellor of Germany following the retirement of Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner.

Generaloberst Günter von Schulz# becomes the Chief of the General Staff following the retirement of Generalfeldmarschall Karl von Einem.

General der Flieger Hans von Seeckt becomes the Chief of the Luftwaffe Staff as this position is newly founded.

#I will save you guys the trouble Herr von Schulz is not someone known from OTL. He is the first person who has risen to a position of importance who the Kaiser and Dona have never really heard of, well at this level anyways. As time marches on this will start to become more and more common. As to who I’m basing Herr von Schulz off? It’s a mystery…

Newly Signed Treaties

Treaty of Veracruz

Under the terms of this treaty the US annexes the following lands. The whole of the Baja California Peninsula and all islands within the Gulf of California and Mexican held islands in the Pacific. Then all the land north of the Mayo and Conchos Rivers. The gap between the two river headwaters are to follow natural geography to fill in the gap between those two headwaters. Then there is all the land north of the Salado River. From its head waters a border of natural geography shall be used till it reaches the southern most point of the Rio Grande River Big Bend. Then finally all lands north of the San Fernando River and east of the San Juan River shall be annexed by the United States. As with other unmet river headwaters natural geography will be used to link these to borders.

All Mexican citizens in these areas annexed by the United States have no choice in the following matter. They are to leave these annexed areas and shall receive no payment from the United States for the loss of their property. This property lost shall be taken in lieu of reparations from the Mexican government. Further no Mexican citizens may ever see to financial payments further staying in any camps ran by the United States government to cut down on bandits’ activities within the former occupied zones of Mexico. Any Mexican citizen who resists efforts to removed them from annexed lands will be tried before a military court for this resistance.

Further the Mexican government will restore all properties and businesses that had been nationalized by the Mexican government that prior to nationalization was own by American citizens. The Mexican government is further bar from nationalizing any American properties and/or businesses within Mexico. The Mexican government is also here by barred for the next 25 years from placing any tariffs on American products or goods to their nation. After this 25 years the Mexican government will grant the United States most favored nation status.

Finally, the Mexican army is banned from having artillery of any kind with a bore larger than 3 inches and limited to no more than 400 such artillery pieces. The Mexican Army may not have more than 800 machine guns of any type. Total the Mexican military may not have more than 50 aircraft in service at any one time. The Mexican navy is limited to ships displacing more than 200 tons but less than 1,100 tons standard load. This also covers all possible paramilitary formations and private organizations.

Foreign Relations

United States

Berlin and Washington are more or less in agreement, this most likely is rock bottom. However, in the back of their minds they are wondering if things could get worse for relations between both nations.

Britain

Given the massive sums both sides are spending on the naval arms race some are starting to wonder if they lack confidence in the trouser department.

France

An understand has been reached. Stay out our way we stay out of yours.

Italy

May we have some of the winter gear that the Russians have?

Russia

No Italy you can, we need all that winter gear in Moscow.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

Relations are such that Kaiser Wilhelm had been rumor to have said something fairly vulgar about the Hungarians in private.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Panzer V^

Weight: 37.5 t
Crew: 11
Main Armament: 2 x 5 cm L/29 Low Velocity Guns (sponson mounted), Flamethrower
Secondary Armament: 5 x MG89/17s
Engine: V-8, Liquid Cooled, 245 kw
Operational Range: 85 km
Max Speed: 9 km/h
Armor: Light Explosive all arcs

Blücher Class Battlecruiser

45,900 tons standard load, 9 x 38 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts

Blücher

Diamant Class Destroyer

1,550 tons Standard Load, 4 x 10.5 cm in Single Turrets, Splinter Armor, 36 kts

Diamant (Diamond)
Saphir (Sapphire)
Rubin (Ruby)
Smaragd (Emerald)
Amethyst
Opal
Perle (Pearl)
Spinell (Spinel)
Topas (Topaz)
Quarz (Quartz)
Bernstein (Amber)
Onyx

U-62 Class Coastal Minelaying Submarine

500 tons surfaced, 620 tons submerged, 4 bow, 1 aft Minelaying launcher, 1 x 8.8 cm deck gun, double hull, 13 kts surfaced, 7 kts submerged

8 Ordered

^Performance is roughly equal with the OTL Mark VIII Heavy Tank

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age. Wilhelm is 59 years of age with Dona being 60.

Other

Given the mess that is Mexico right now I figure I take a minute to spell a few things out. The German Empire is recruiting skill works out of the god-awful cluster fuck that is the multi-sided civil war being waged in Mexico following that beat down by the US after the US got its shit together. Its also working with orphanages to get orphans to the safety of German orphanages away from the violence that is happening in Mexico. Further there is an effort to fed both Chile and Paraguay with people trying to escape the violence that is going on in Mexico. This effort is being supported by both Chile and Paraguay. While not all skilled workers are leaving Mexico for Germany, the bulk of the skill workers are running.

Post-Second Mexican-American War Map

I made a quick and dirty attempt to show the territory annexed by USA in the Treaty of Veracruz.

Source

Sports Pt IV

Berlin
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stadion
January 31 1919

In Germany the popularly of the football was going through the roof. Currently there at the premier level within the Kaiserliche Fußballliga with 24 teams playing at this level. There were two lower divisions within the Kaiserliche Fußballliga system. They were the 2. Kaiserliche Fußballliga and 3. Liga. At the second division level there were 18 teams with 12 teams for the third division. It was possible to be relegated down out of 3. Liga but that relegation would be moving into one of the regional leagues within the empire instead of staying in the Kaiserliche Fußballliga system itself. However, there was talk of forming another 12 team fourth league within the Kaiserliche Fußballliga at the moment. If that when anywhere I didn’t know.

What I did know was the football was leaving its mark on Germany. The team I routed for Union Berlin was playing in a new stadium that they had named after me. It was a wonder of design and technology for this day in age. It was a 45,000-seat stadium that 20 years ago would have been simply impossible unless they were to build something on the scale of the Roman Colosseum. With the cost that when with building a Colosseum meant no one would ever go that route. Now though with pre-stressed concrete prefabrication taking off in use building something of this size made sense. What I however was enjoying how they were hiding the fact they were using pre-stressed concrete in the building designs they were using. The architectural design were that good.

Every so often Dona would tease me for having become the football fan that I have. Even through I did try to fact I was a Union Berlin fan for a while it had become common knowledge within the public that I was one of their fans. So, I just when with it now when ever it came up when I was doing royal events. Honestly the more I watched football here the more I wonder how come it never took off in the United States in the world that me and Dona came from or now. Then again Union Berlin was one of the best teams within the Kaiserliche Fußballliga with three-time champions.

As to my former homeland, the more time that past in this new timeline the less I recognized what it was becoming. In the sport’s world without gridiron football, I figure that would give football a chance to take off in the US. However, football was still not a common sport there. Instead, it seemed that baseball would be the only sport pastime that would take off there.

What however was more important to Germany through was the Internationaler Fußballverband World Cup that took place last year. The IFV for lack of better thought process the equal to FIFA in the world that me and Dona had come from. The major difference through was that the IFV had started off as a German led organization instead of French. Even with that there was a major international effort to help get IFV off the ground. The first world cup had was held in Italy last year.

In the 1918 IFV World Cup, there had been a total of 12 teams to take part in the tournament. From Europe you have teams from Germany, Italy, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland. From South America you had teams from Brazil and Chile. From North America you oddly had Cuba which somehow made the dance. The Romanian v Hungarian match was something that would be talked about in sport history for decades if not centuries to come given how that match when in the group stages.

That game was now known as the Battle of Turin. That game saw the refs pull out five red cards and 21 yellow cards given how dirty both sides were playing in that game before the refs called the game following a bench clearing fight start with three minutes left in the game. Not how I wanted to start off the World Cup, but those two had a lot issues to work out.

Going into the knockout stages you had Germany, Poland, Brazil, and Italy making the semi-finals. Poland when down to Brazil with Germany making short work of Italy. It led to a Germany v Brazil final and that game was likely one of the best games of football yet played. Even after extra time, the game was still tied 1-1 so it when to penalty shoot out to see who would win the world’s first World Cup. It took 8 kicks for it to finally end with Brazil winning 5-4 in penalty kicks. I had wanted to see Germany bring it home, but the game was such that I couldn’t say anything. Only now Germany on the whole had the goal of bringing the cup home in 1922.
say anything. Only now Germany on the whole had the goal of bringing the cup home in 1922.

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt VII

Near Luxemburg City
Royal Train
March 18 1919

I was travelling around the empire as part of effort to calm some fears about some of the reforms that were taking shape in Frankfurt right now. I believed that both of those reforms were long overdue at this point. One would put Germany on a stronger financial footing along with allow further economic growth. The other would remove the final barriers that were in place that kept some men within the empire from voting. It when without saying both had various subjects of mine somewhat worried so I Was doing my part to smooth over some of the ruffled feathers being caused by those reforms.

One of the reasons those and other reforms were taking place now was because I was able to used the divided Reichstag at the moment to get compromises to happen. That however was not what was on my mind at the current moment as the trained made I was on as it made its way to Metz. I had a pencil in my hand was working on something that I wanted to see published knowing I never would. This manuscript wouldn’t be published till well after my death if everything when right. If things when wrong later from events I couldn’t see fore coming this manuscript would likely be thrown into a fireplace to never see the light of day again. The working title of this manuscript was simply titled Odin I.

I had found myself in a strange place I had never been before. As I was gathered my bearings about me was when I noticed him. From his plain dress one would not known from simple looks that I was standing before the king of kings. I however could only hold eye contact with him for but a brief moment before I felt his power and knew who he was. I dropped to my knees in bowed before him in respect.

After many talks between Dona and I we both had decided that our secret was to die with us. Even through we loved and trusted Junior who was starting to prove he would be a worthy heir to the throne, we just couldn’t trust him with this secret. Even the hint of this secret could possibly destroy everything Dona and I had worked for in building up Germany. However, we decide we could allude to it in our memoirs. Given we were both over 60 we had decided to start working on those. This for me was simply a rough draft that I would go back and edit as needed. It however was best just to get pencil to paper now and get ideas down.

He spoke in a voice that dripped with love, “Arise my son.” He soon was standing next to me as I still refused to make eye contact with him. “Walk with me my son.” I replied simply, “Yes your holiness.”

I really didn’t like taking the whole religious angle on this. I however, didn’t see a better path forward on getting this across how important it was to get people to be accepting of others. Maybe Dona would come up with something better, but at the moment it was the only thing I had.

No words were spoken for a few moments. Then out of nowhere we came to a ravine where we both stopped. He then made a simple gesture with his hand and I watched as what was before me changes in a moment. “My son the world is coming to a great crossroads with Germany being at the heart of this crossroads. There are many paths that you may lead Germany to. If you do not change your ways let me show you the most likely path.”

I didn’t know how to write the run up to World War One at the moment, so I just jumped forward at the moment. I knew I would have to circle back and write it later. But I had found it best to go with the flow at first then come back and edit or add later as needed.

Before me I saw that through a war unlike any, I could had ever believed possible. Germany had only but a few allies as most of the world was away against us. Our allies were all but useless and Germany had to carry the load that would have broken Atlas. Germany fought bravely but lost. Having lost the right to rule I saw myself flee into exile. In Germany many could not accept the defeat or the terms the victors forced on our nation which were just as harsh as the war that had just been fought. Those at home in Germany searched for a scapegoat. At this time however, who that scapegoat would be wasn’t clear. However, this search for a scapegoat couldn’t save Germany from the damaged brought by the war. Money became worthless. Paper notes were being issued that were worth trillions of marks. Within weeks of being printed they were being burn as fuel for warm as they had become worthless as the economy was in freefall.

After Germany started its recovery period there were still those that sought to blame others. A host of different groups all fought for control of Germany through the ballet box as there was no monarch to help guide Germany and be a check against the worse impulses of politicians. They all sought to blames others for the problems people suffered. Communist blamed the business owners and the wealthy. Others blamed the Jews and foreigners. Others still blamed all non-Aryans. It was simply a mess. Then events outside the control of Germany caused the economic recovery it started to be gone within but a blink of an eye. Money once again became worthless.

In the people’s despair they turned to Con Artist who promised them the impossible. In their fear they declared their loyally to this fraud and followed him on the path to hell. This Charlatan promised to return Germany to her place in the sun as he blamed every non-German Aryan for the problems Germany faced. Loyal Germans who only fault was being born as a Jewish person were stripped of their citizenship. Those who were different skin colors were singled out as well for being stripped of their citizenship. All because they were different. Then they were segregated from the rest of Germany. Once in ghettos they were killed because they were being blamed for my failings.

All while this was happening this fraud plunged Europe into another massive war. Even through many other nations had defeated Germany their victory had taken much out of them. Some could even say it was a Pyrrhic Victory. They also mistaking believed they had destroyed Germany they however had lacked the strength at the end of the last war to make sure Germany had been destroyed as they wanted. Within six weeks this fraud did the impossible. He destroyed the French Army and threw the British out of Europe. Then he turned the armies of Germany against Russia and brought his armies to the gate of Moscow itself. All while the victories when to the Charlatan’s head. He started to carry out the same policy of mass murder of Jews or other undesirables simply because he could.

However, this time America had been awakened from her slumber. Leading her armies in the name of freedom rallied the rest of the world to destroy Germany for all times. The Fraud discounted this. However, when the Charlatan’s Generals could no longer defeat the armies of the whole world might they were fired. Some were even murdered for the inability to win the impossible or for speak truth to power. All the while the Charlatan’s henchmen were carrying out even crueler and more vindictive acts against those, they had decided were undesirables in the madman’s mind. This was while Germany was being destroyed from the air as America couldn’t not directly strike on land at this time.

With America’s industrial might and the endless manpower of Russia the armies of Germany were forced back on the defensive and started to lose ground. Soon the secrets of the Charlatan’s henchmen became known and gave those fighting her a reason to fight which some had been lacking prior to this. By the end of the war Germany as a nation was all but destroyed. Her people homeless. Wives had become widows. Children were parentless. Men who thought they had fought on the side of right were returning home missing limbs and being forced to look at what had been done in their name.

I was in tears at this point having seen all of this. Then the king of kings spoke again. “It doesn’t have to be like this Wilhelm. You can change it. You have the intelligence and wisdom to you just need to think your choices through. You also need to make it clear all of my children are equal before me. This idea of different races between my children is the work of Satan. All of my children are equal before me.” He repeated himself to make that clear to me.

“Yes, my lord.” I replied. “It’s time for you return to your world. But remember what you saw here today. Only you can stop it.” He told me.

The next moment I was in the carriage that crashed in 1888 with no prior memories before then other than these events I had just written.

At this point I stopped to read what I had wrote. Its wasn’t bad, but I knew I would have to improve it even more. I really want to make somethings clear. I knew it wasn’t a bad first draft but it was no where close to being ready for publishing at the moment. This was something that would had be freaking perfect before I would let it be published, and even then only after my death. However, I planned to make it another 20 or 30 years before this would see the light of day.

Interlude Into the Mind of a Future Student Pt I

New Hannover, Kingdom of (Redacted), German Empire
Library
April 22 2020

Jim was currently waiting for his tutor for history. Since moving to New Hannover, (Redacted) from his home town of Logan, West Virginia. He was one of the few American students within the AS program that came from the rural areas of the United States. The rural areas of the United States were the heart of the power that put the Freedom Party into power within the United States into the late 80s nationwide even through the Freedom Party had been doing well in the rural areas long before that. Even through he was born and raised in that, Jim knew there had to be something more to the world than what was being forced down his throat as school and church.

Had he stayed in West Virginia he likely would have ended up working in the coal mines like his father and his father before him. He didn’t want to suffer that fate and he knew that from an early age. So, he applied himself at school to get high marks in the hopes of getting a scholarship to university so he could escape the fate of being in the mines. However, as he studied whenever he wasn’t be bullied for being smart, he started to notice things that planned the seeds of doubt about what he was being told. It however wasn’t till his sophomore year that broke his faith in the system totally and put him on the path of applying for the AS with all the risk that came with that in his part of the nation.

Officially the university scholarship Jim was chasing would be awarded to the student with the highest-grade point average at the end of senior year. Granted that scholarship wouldn’t be to a school like MIT or Harvard instead it would be to West Virginia University, but it was something to get him out of Logan. Jim was the only student in his school who always made all As on every report card, well earned it anyways as the town’s mayor son David also got all As. David however was the biggest bully that Jim had to deal with along with being as dense as a brick. Everyone knew David’s grades were being whitewash just because of who is father was. At the end of his sophomore year the principal pulled Jim into his office and told him to stop trying. The scholarship would be awarded to David as he had the backing of the Freedom Party and that was that.

That summer while Jim worked at the general store, he started to put his plans in place to escape. He had heard rumors of the Ausländisches Studentenprogramm before then, but they were just rumors. It was during that summer he started to chase those rumors down. Which wasn’t easy given he was trying to keep everyone from finding out. He however applied the following summer. He knew the odds but he didn’t care. It was either get into the AS or join the fucking navy. The military was one of those rare parts of the American society that the Freedom Party hadn’t been corrupted by it. The only thing Jim knew for sure he wasn’t staying in Logan.

When it came out that he had applied for AS did the shit hit the fan. His family threw him out on to the streets with nothing more than the clothes on his back. The bullying he had been dealing with since childhood turned into psychical assaults. His grades which had been his pride when into all Fs in a blink of the eye. He couldn’t even step inside the church because of it. He knew how close he had been to dying that winter because of being homeless. When a German diplomatic agent came to inform him that he had been selected for the program that spring Jim couldn’t believe his ears. Even more of her offer to help him find a roof over his head and food to fill his belly.

The sounds of footsteps made him snap out of the past through. Looking up he saw his tutor. She was one of the students out of one of the local Gymnasiums here in New Hannover. She was in her final year of school and had already been accepted to University of Vienna on one of the rare openings into the history program. Jim stood up, “Its good to see you again Hannah.” He said quietly as she reached the table where his books were.

Hannah was part of a program that the AS with local Gymnasiums to work as tutors with their students. Most of the students coming into AS were coming out of nations that were dictatorships of various favors. There was an understanding that many students would need the help to understand history as it truly was not the various lies told in different nations. Hannah knowing her family’s history was more than honor she was selected for this. “You as well Jim.” She replied just as softly as Jim got her chair for her. She knew by this point that Jim was the perfect gentlemen after the first time he did this and that misunderstanding.

Once they were both seated Jim spoke softly, “Hannah what to you make of the first chapter of My Journey?” My Journey was the autobiography of Kaiser Wilhelm the Second. It was published shortly after the death of his son Wilhelm the Third in the early 50s. “Because I had to go back and re-read it as I read his answers for the Second World War and I had issues bringing the two together to how it could happen?”

Hannah knew this would happen sooner or later. To put it simply World War II was a brutal war where there were no clear cut “good guys” in it. It also one of the things that historians since My Journey had been published had been trying reconcile its first chapter[1] which many viewed as one of the most beautiful warnings out there to what Germany did in WWII and direct aftermath. Granted a number of actions taken by Germany were no different than others in the war it was something that had left historians going what. Even more so for those who took the first chapter as he received a message from god as some did.

The only thing that shown through out that war through was Wilhelm’s love of children as he did do what he could to save them. “Jim, that war is complex and you are going to need some more reading material to understand why those things happen. But let’s see where you are in your paper.” My Journey was a required reading for every student within the AS. They also had to write a paper on it and turn it in at the end of Caesar Term.

[1] Yesterday’s update was a rough draft of the SI’s autobiography. He refined it a number of times.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVIII

Danzig
Naval Base
May 5 1919

I was over looking the map of the Baltic. This was becoming an increasingly important part of active national security matters once more. The battleships the Russians laid down last year happened in Sevastopol, not Petrograd. From the intelligence I had been able to get the Russians were like the French. Their first dreadnought designed battleship was already outdated but it was more about giving them experience in building and operating battleships again. Along with giving their naval industries time to catch up with the rest of the world and the ongoing naval arms after over a decade of not building anything of that size.

No, it wasn’t that was causing the Baltic to becoming a national security concern again. While the Russians were working on improving their naval yards in Petrograd, from the work they were doing it was making things clear they weren’t building capital ships there. I honestly did wonder what the Russians were up to navally through as from intelligence we had their first class of destroyers had mistaking thought they were submarines which had forced them to undergo major rebuilds to keep them from drying to dive when moving at any faster than a brisk walk. Given some of the other signs were we seeing from the Russians they were having some issues with their naval building program given the progress they were making with their ships they were building at the moment.

What was pushing the Baltic back to the forefront was the note that had been handed to Wilhelm von Solf my new foreign minister by the Swedish Ambassador to my nation. The Swedish it seemed had decided not to enter into talks with us for another treaty to extend the alliance between our nations. They had in that note decided to return to a position of neutrality and allow the treaty of alliance they currently hold with us to lapse. Once they left, the Russians wouldn’t have to worry about a fairly long border. Then again everything on that front really depended on the defense of Wiborg. As long as they held the Karelian Isthmus with Wiborg the rest of that front could be held with light troops as no sane general would try to fight a major war there.

The Russians seemed to be playing a fairly smart game at the moment. They must had learned from the mistakes that led up to the Great War. While they had exchanged rifle, machine gun, and even some limited artillery fire over the Amu Darya they hadn’t crossed into Afghanistan so far. Even through they had good cause to cross into Afghanistan as they kept fighting the ongoing Islamic guerrilla war in Central Asia, they had restrained themselves from invading the camps that Islamic rebels were using as a basic of operations in Afghanistan.

Granted the Russians were using fairly harsh tactics in Central Asia guerrilla war they were fighting. Even through we only had limited intelligence assess in the region the Russians had their own concentration camps they were using in effort to sniff out the rebellion in the region. The only thing we knew for damn sure about these camps was that they were ripping infants away from their mothers to send them to orphanages. The only reason we knew this was because of an increasing number of infants showing up in Russian orphanages with no paper trail. It was also clear that they weren’t Russian infants incoming to these orphanages. At least the Russians weren’t using them as breeding centers like the French had when they crushed the rebels in Algeria.

While the Russians were being restrained when it came to Afghanistan the British weren’t. They had entered Khyber Pass and were fighting the Third Afghan War now. Unlike other wars that had happened since I been Kaiser the British weren’t allowing observers to take part of this. So, I was drawing on the intelligence network that was being built up in the Raj to figure out what was going on in Afghanistan. Even more so with the British press being unusually quiet on this.

From those reports we knew that the British were bombing Kabul on a regular basis with their new heavy bombers[1]. Along with hitting Kabul we knew Kandahar had also been hit by the British RAF. We were noticing an uptick on the raids on Kandahar which gave us the impression that it was currently being besiege by the British Indian Army. Those bombers were suffering some losses, but it wasn’t from the Afghans as they had no defense from those things. No, they were suffering losses from mechanical issues from what we had figured out. Currently one of our teams in India was trying to get the remains of the engines of one bombers that had crashed back to us for study.

Still, I was expecting things to turn ugly in Afghanistan in short order. Lord Kitchener was still the Secretary of War for Prime Minister H.H. Asquith. Given Kitchener’s record I was expecting concentration camps to form in Afghanistan to keep the Afghans from using the hit and run tactics they loved. It was possible they were already there. It was hard to say for sure through. The only reason I was expecting this was because the British press were currently being left in the dark about it. There had been public back lash against Kitchener’s camps in Southern Africa during the Boer War. The only reason they would be keeping the press in the black about this was simply they were about to do the same damn thing or already were.

While I had to keep an eye on Central Asia, the Baltic was currently at the forefront of our worries. The Swedish now brought a new variable to the table there. It was now of a question how I and thereby Germany respond to this new variable we had to face in our backyards.

[1] They are fairly close into performance to the Vickers Vimy of OTL fame.

Domestic Issues Pt VIII

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
September 19 1919

Now that this was done, I was wondering how much longer before the Reichstag would hold together before needing it needed to be dissolved and new elections held. Maybe I could call the leaders of the SPD, CSP, and NLP to work out another agreement to keep from holding another election for at least another year and allow these two new laws, well new law and one new amendment to the constitution take effect and let people get use to them. The question was what common ground could I find this time through?

Even with that question hanging over me right now I was pleased with how this past two years had worked out. The Treasury Ministry which prior to the amendment that had just come into effect had been more of a clearing house ministry as I viewed. It did have some power but it was more about making sure everyone of the member states of the empire was on the same page when in came to various issues that dealt with money. That had been apart of the compromise needed to get all the support I needed to get the new constitution through back in 1893.

Back then I didn’t view that as something that could last forever. On the other hand, I didn’t expect it to last this long either. Now through it didn’t matter. The Treasury Ministry was now a major ministry instead of just a clearing house ministry. That along would strengthen the economy even more than it already was. Given the economy was humming along fairly well right now with low unemployment and rising wages. Basic on the current figures we were expecting to see another 4 to 5% increase in the GDP over the fiscal year. Given now there would be more ways to keep the economy going I wouldn’t have to worry as much as about boom and bust cycle economics.

To get that through the last remaining barriers for women at the ballet box had been removed under a new voting rights law. Women had full rights to vote now no matter their marriage status as it had been prior to this law. Now any woman over the age of 21 could legally vote in any election within Germany so long as they were not in prison when the election happens. Other than that, they could vote just like men could. How this would affect the electorate of the nation I wasn’t totally sure. Most women who could vote did at the moment but we hadn’t seen a shift in the way the elections happened.

Granted there wasn’t universal staffage within the Empire at the moment, only in Europe. In the colonies it was more of a question of did you have colonial citizenship or not. From the last numbers I had seen there was a growing number of people of ethnic strips who had colonial citizenship. Maybe I make a push to get a new law about the colonies through? The question through what would I have to give up to get that at the moment.

Then again what was the thought of the public at large at the moment? Would I have to use the bully pulpit again to get things to go where I wanted? Could I steer things to further reform for immigration within Germany itself? While the colonies were seeing a fair bit of immigration from other areas of the world, Germany was mostly getting a trickle when put up to that. Then again as I thought about it, I know I would never see it but the fusion of cooking happening in Mittelafrika would lead to some tasty foods that wouldn’t had been known in the world that me and Dona came from. Well, that’s assuming something there doesn’t blow up. Then again, my efforts were bearing fruit and more native-born Africans were wanting to go to German schools and learn German.

Maybe a push for further military reforms? I would like to see the women services tweaked to expand the jobs they could perform and allow women marry and stay in service. Well so long as they didn’t have kids as that wasn’t a hill worth dying on. I would also like to see further reforms to the Schutztruppe. While I knew I couldn’t get them modern artillery or armor, I would like to see about getting them modern small arms and some modernish light artillery to make them even a more deadly force than they already were.

More ideas were starting to come up, but I decided to call the leaders of the three major parties in the Reichstag and see if we could come to an agreement, or if I should just go ahead and call for new elections.

Naval Matters Pt VI

Tsingtau, German Colony
Naval Office
December 19 1919

Obermatrose Filip Gronkowski was nearing the end of his two year hitch in the service of the Kaiserliche Marine. After finishing his training, he had been posted to serve on the armored cruiser SMS Scharnhorst. Given she was currently serving as the flag ship of the Far Eastern Squadron that meant a fairly long trip across the Atlantic. Then going through the Panama Canal with a lay over in Honolulu before reaching Tsingtau and his duty assignment. Over the year plus he had served on the Scharnhorst Gronkowski had seen some action against various Chinese pirates along with making port calls in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Dutch East Indies and French Indochina.

With his technical background Gronkowski had been assigned to the engineering section of the ship. While there he proved he would be a skill sailor with a bright future should be decide to become a full fledge machinist’s mate. It had been noted in his two fitness reports that had been filed during his service. He had enjoyed his time at sea and was looking at making it a career, just in the merchant marine instead of the naval service. While pay had been improved for conscripts since the start of the rule of Wilhelm the Second, it still couldn’t hold up to what the merchant marine could offer him.

Gronkowski could have even return home to Toruń and find a well-paying job there. With his skills gained in the naval service he likely could had been hired on at the power plant that powered his hometown. Indeed, his mother had been telling him in the letters she him that the powerplant needed workers. However, that was no different than most of Germany at the moment. It’s economy it seemed to be vacuuming up workers as there were never enough to go around. This had some side effects of people looking for labor saving technologies to reduce the demand for workers, but the economy was growing so fast that even with their work, only a truly lazy person couldn’t find work within Germany.

“Next!” Came the call out in German.

At that Gronkowski entered the office which was to start his discharge from the service. “Obermatrose Gronkowski reporting as ordered sir.” He replied in German. While he wasn’t totally fluent in German it was close enough. The Kaiserliche Marine worked only in German so it had help Gronkowski improve his German over his hitch. While he was allowed to speak Polish with the few other Polish members of the ship only German was spoken when performing watch.

The Deckoffiziere who was in charge of this part of the out-processing process spoke, “At ease Obermatrose.” As he looked over Gronkowski’s jacket. Once Gronkowski was at ease the Deckoffiziere spoke again while he worked on the needed paperwork, “What are your plans when you get home, Obermatrose?”

“I’m not going home sir. I plan to join the merchant marine.” Gronkowski replied not thinking anything of it.

At that the Deckoffiziere stopped what he was doing and when to a different part of Gronkowski’s jacket. Seeing what was there he picked up his phone and waited for a moment before someone picked up, “Hans, its Karl. I got another one for you.”

Gronkowski was wondering what was going on as the Deckoffiziere spoke rapidly with someone on the phone. A moment later the Deckoffiziere hung up the phone, “Obermatrose report to room 418. Dismissed.”

“Aye, aye sir.” At that Gronkowski took his jacket and wonder what just happened.

It took a few minutes to find room 418 which was two floors above the one he started on. He then saw a line at the door so it became the old story of military life everywhere, hurry up and wait.

After waiting in line for about 30 minutes Gronkowski entered the room, “Obermatrose Gronkowski reporting as order.” He said but noticed the man he was reporting to was a civilian not a naval officer. Well he was a naval officer with the rank of Korvettenkapitän, but he was a reservist officer. His normal job was working for Norddeutscher Lloyd.

“At ease Obermatrose.” The reservist officer said. “Deckoffiziere Bäcker informed me you are looking to join the merchant marine after you finished your tour of duty. Is this correct?” He asked while overlooking the jacket that Gronkowski had handed him.

“Yes, sir I am.” Gronkowski replied still wondering what the freak was going on.

The reservist naval officer didn’t say anything for a few moments while he was reviewing Gronkowski’s jacket. Once he looked at everything, “Obermatrose, at the current moment I’m a recruitment officer for Norddeutscher Lloyd. We are always on the look out for skilled machinist.” At that he started to explain things to Gronkowski.

All of the German shipping companies had a working relationship with the Kaiserliche Marine. They also used the Kaiserliche Marine for training new hires for their companies. There were a number of reasons for this given how the major German shipping companies were set up. It was for this reason that Norddeutscher Lloyd had an office here so they could recruit sailors into their employ.

The problem for Gronkowski he wasn’t a fully trained machinist’s mate. The reservist officer who was also a recruiting officer for Lorddeutscher Lloyd explained that to Gronkowski. If he joined now the pay would be far less than what he would make as a qualified machinist’s mate. With how things were done in the civilian world it would be four to six years before he was a fully qualified machinist’s mate. It however was possible to finish his training to be a fully qualified machinist’s mate with another two-year hitch in the Kaiserliche Marine. That two year hitch through came with an agreement to another 16 years of service in the reserves of the navy.

Gronkowski thought about it for a moment as the pay difference was really noticeable then decided to agree to another two years of service in the Kaiserliche Marine.

1919 Year in Review

Domestic

Amendment to the Constitution

Under this amendment, the Treasury Ministry is brought up to the same status as the Foreign Affairs, Naval, War, and Colonial ministries are. This gives the German government a far larger hand in shaping the economy along with strengthen the economy itself.

Women Voting Rights Act of 1919

Under this law women within the empire who are over the age of 21 now have the same voting rights as men within the empire.

Game and Hunting Act of 1919

This law is design brings about bag limits on game and creates hunting seasons for various game found across Europe and its colonies. However, the bag limit in the colonies is much higher than it is in Europe itself. There however is an exception to allow for self-defense from deadly game. Key word there, deadly.

Information Security Act of 1919

Companies and industries that work on national defense projects following the passage of this law must maintain the same security procedures as that of the empire. If a company is unable to afford these procedures, the imperial government will step in to help.

Changes Within Government Personal

Wilhelm von Solf became the foreign affairs minister.

Clemens von Delbrück became the minister of the interior.

Konstantin von Neurath became the minister of the colonies.

Karl Helfferich became the minister of the treasury.

The Reichstag was dismissed at the end of the year and new elections are being held.

Newly Signed Treaties

None of note.

Foreign Relations

United States

Then things got worse.

Britain

Given the massive sums both sides are spending on the naval arms race some are starting to wonder if they lack confidence in the trouser department.

France

An understand has been reached. Stay out our way we stay out of yours.

Italy

May we have some of the winter gear that the Russians have?

Russia

No Italy you can, we need all that winter gear in Moscow and its still not enough winter gear. We need all the winter gear in the world.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

Relations are such that Kaiser Wilhelm had been rumor to have said something fairly vulgar about the Hungarians in private and he has refused to deny those rumors.

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Handgranate 19

Weight: 510 grams
Length: 100 mm
Diameter: 60 mm
Filler: (I’m not sure of the ITL Name, buts its Comp B)
Filler Weight: 180 grams
Detonation Mechanism: Timed Friction Fuse

8.8 cm Flugabwehrkanone 19

Weight: 7,590 kg
Length: 5.8 m
Barrel Length: L/56
Width: 2.3 m
Height: 2.1 (When Firing)
Breech: Horizontal semi-auto sliding block
Recoil: Hydro-Pneumatic
Elevation: -3 to 85
Traverse: 360
Effective Firing Ceiling: 8,000 m
Maximum Firing Ceiling: 9,900 m

Panzerwagon VI#

Weight: 5.1 t
Armor: Rifle Proof
Crew: 4
Armament: 1 x MG98G
Engine: Inline 6 Cylinder, Liquid Cooled, 65 kw
Operational Range: 300 km
Max Speed: 85 km/h

König Class Battleships

37,900 tons standard load, 12 x 38 cm L/50s in Triples/Superfiring, 15 cm and 8.8 cm secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA

König
Grosser Kurfürst
Markgraf
Kronprinz

Lübeck Class Heavy Cruiser

10,900 tons Standard Load, 9 x 21 cm L/56s in Triples/Superfiring, 10.5 cm Secondaries, Cruiser Armor/KCA, 34 knots

Lübeck
Graz
Leipzig
Danzig

U-70 Class Attack Submarines

850 tons surfaced, 1,010 tons submerged, 4 bow, 2 aft tubes, 1 x 10.5 cm deck gun, double hull, 17 kts surfaced, 9 kts submerged

6 Ordered

K VI ^/^^

Crew: 1
Powerplant: 9 Cylinder, Air Cooled, 180 kw
Maximum Speed: 206 km/h
Service Ceiling: 5,100 m
Endurance: 3.25 hours
Armament: 2 x M98As mounted on the engine cowlings in use with a synchronizer gear

#This is a custom design that has no OTL counterpart

^This is roughly equal to the OTL Gloster Sparrowhawk III

^^This is ordered by the navy but also in used with the Luftwaffe. The naval version is carrier capable whereas the Luftwaffe version isn’t. This will be a common theme for all naval aircraft that are flight deck capable going forward, well for at least the foreseeable future.

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age. Wilhelm is 60 years of age with Dona being 61.

Magyar Problems Pt III

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
February 1 1920

I could already feel the heartburn building having just been briefed about the newest communication that had just came out of Budapest. While I wasn’t surprised by it given everything that has happened in that god forsaken nation, this was going to take some diplomatic skill to keep it from being the spark that leads to another war here in Europe. The Ottomans were going to be PISSED by this move by the Hungarians. As for myself I understood why the Hungarians when ahead and did this, even if it was a stupid risk. Then again, I didn’t think Budapest had the ability to think for beyond two seconds ahead of the current time.

“Get in contact with Ambassador Okyar so we can work out our response to this.” I said to Foreign Minister von Solf.

“Yes sir.” He replied. He then left me in the room where I could muse on how the Hungarian Annexation of Bosnia could be defused without bloodshed. I wanted to be in a better position than what I currently was in when that war came. I honestly don’t think the British jingoist wanted a war at the current moment given the brewing troubles in Ireland. While they were jingoist, they weren’t bloody idiots like the Hungarians were. Then again it might be an insult to idiots to call the Hungarians an idiot as they normally they did have some ability to think past the tip of their nose.

All of this could be traced back to the problems caused by the Budapest Accords of 1911 and the ripple effects caused by them. The demographics of Hungary had been radically changed by those Accords as it gave an opening for the bulk of the non-Magyars an out to escape the rule of Budapest. By God did they take it. Germans, Croats, Romanians, Slovaks, Bosnians, Serbs, and anyone else you could think of ran like the wind. Very few Magyars however left from what I had seen. Now through it might be too late to leave as since then Budapest had been giving out immigration visas at levels that would have put the Soviet Union to shame for how few immigration visas they were granting per year.

Where the various ethnic groups landed was mixed. Most of the Germans took up offers to move to Germany or our colonies. Romanians and Serbs either returned to their ethnic homelands that were ruled by people like themselves or they took off for different places. Normally it was somewhere in the Americas or my colonial empire. The Croats, Slovaks, and Bosnians didn’t have a nation that was ruled by their people to go to. They really went off to the winds some have ended up in my colonial empire. Others still had ended up the Americas. Others still had taken up offers to move to either Japan or Korea. Like me through the Japanese and Korean had been talking skilled workers to improve their own domestic industries. While that was by far the smallest of the larger groups, it was still worth noting.

The overwhelming majority of the Kingdom of Hungary were now ethnic Magyars. Then again from reports I had seen there were some fairly large towns that had simply became ghost towns from this massive migration flow out of Hungary. Given how much money had left the kingdom they had debased their currency. The Hungarian Korona became the first known case of hyperinflation in 20th century Europe. In 1914 the Korona had been released with Trillion Korona amounts. I even had a 100 trillion Korona bill in my somewhat odd ball currency collection. That was just more for the novelty value of it as it didn’t cost me all that much to get it in 1915.

While they had pulled their economy out the dumpster fire that had been caused by the Budapest Accords it still wasn’t a good economy. The Pengő which had replaced the Korona still wasn’t the most valuable currency but it wasn’t being issued in trillion amounts in one go either. Honestly the more I thought about the more the Pengő reminded me of the Japanese Yen from the world me and Dona had come from in strength. Pengő coins could be found worth hundreds of Pengő and bills were printed that ran as high as 20,000 Pengő at the moment. Then again even to get that far they had to basically put the whole of Hungary at the beck and call of the Bank of England.

Even with their trash economy they were still putting money into their military. Last year they had commissioned the smallest dreadnoughts I had ever seen. I had armored cruisers in my reserve fleet that displaced more than those new battleships of the Hungarian Navy. Most likely they also have guns that could defeat the armor of those things based on what intelligence had found out. Then there was their weak broadside of six 12 inch guns with a total of eight 12 inch guns on them. This was in a timeframe with the big players all putting 38 cm guns on their ships or larger. Their secondary armament was also hot trash being four inch guns and not that many of them and all but two of them were in casemates.

My personal thought this was a rally the people to the flag moment and take their minds off how bad their lives were. The question for me through how to keep that moment from sparking another great war?

Magyar Problems Pt IV

Fallodon, United Kingdom
Brunton House
February 6 1920

Prime Minister Sir Edward Grey, 3rd Baronet Grey of Fallodon was nearly blind by this point in his life. While he still had some eye sight left his ability to see the fly for his favorite hobby of fly fishing was long gone. His ability to read on his own was gone. It was only a fluke he was in this office as he had been planning on retiring from public life given in the near future when he had risen to his current post. The reason for that was because he knew his health was failing him. It had been the dual elections of 1919 and its aftermath that brought him up from the position of foreign minister of the United Kingdom to that of Prime Minister.

Both of the elections of 1919 had seen a hung parliament being elected by the people of the United Kingdom. There had been a host of topics for the reason of this hung parliament. Not wanting to put the nation through a third election within under a year, then Prime Minister H.H. Asquith decided to form a collation government. The Labour Party didn’t have the seats needed to form a stable government. J. G. Swift MacNeill and the Irish Parliamentary Party however did have the needed seats. So, Asquith reached out to MacNeill to work out an agreement to form a government.

MacNeill was willing to talk about everything else but made it clyster clear the only way he would throw his support into forming a government with Asquith was another effort to pass Irish Home Rule. Asquith had agreed to MacNeill’s demand and agree to make an effort to pass another Irish Home Rule Bill. Shortly after through Asquith suffered a stroke and resigned as prime minister. Grey then won the contest to take over from Asquith and he had become the new prime minister even with his own health failing.

Ulster was not happy with this attempt at Irish Home Rule. The Ulster Unionist were making that clear at the moment. So far through there had been no violence has those in the halls of Westminster worked on crafting the Third Irish Home Rule Bill. No, this displeasure was being made known via of speeches of notable Unionist figures along with rallies across Ulster. Then there were the speeches in the House of Commons itself by Unionist figures.

Ireland however wasn’t his primary worry at the moment. No, his primary worry was that of the crisis that Budapest had created by annexing Bosnia. He had given tact support for the idea, but he had expected the Bosnia issue to be handled differently than the way the Hungarians did it. Sarajevo the capital of the province in question had prior to the 1911 crisis that the Hungarians caused had a population of over 50,000. Now not even a decade later Sarajevo had a population of under 10,000 with the vast majority being Hungarians. The figures the British had put that population of Sarajevo being around 70% Hungarian.

The rest of Bosnia was much the same story. The various different ethnic groups there had fled in the window created for them by the Budapest Accords and it had radically changed the demographic makeup of Bosnia and in deed the whole of Hungary. It was why Grey had gave his tact support to this idea. He however had wanted it to be done differently so he could had drawn something out of the Germans. However, the way the Hungarians had when about it meant the Germans were likely to draw something out of him instead.

Francis Dyke Acland who had replaced Grey as the Foreign Minister spoke, “Prime Minister, the Germans have put forward what they believe to be is a workable answer to keep the Bosnia Crisis from during into a war.”

Grey wanted to crush the Germans in a war, but he wanted to weaken them first and so far his attempts to do so had failed. With the troubles in Ulster at this time he believed this wasn’t the time for it. Not with the bulk of the leadership of the Liberal Party being in failing health like he was. “Please enlighten me to what the Germans are seeking.”

Magyar Fallout Pt I

Berlin
Königliches Schloss
March 17 1920

With the Bosnian Crisis behind us I knew I would have to use this to strike while the iron was still hot to get a few of the reforms I wanted done to happen now. The two areas I wanted to focus on was that of a modernization of the Schutztruppe along with expanding the role of women in the military. Both would be critical in any future war. Thrown together the fact the Bosnian Crisis almost led to war the iron was white hot at this point.

It had honestly been a close-run thing even with most of the central players in the whole affair, myself included, not wanting a war over this. Grey decided to press me for better terms over the offer I had sent to them in effort to smooth over the whole affair. The offer was, the British were to forgive remaining Ottoman debt held by the Ottoman Public Debt Administration with the OPDA being shutter after it. There would also be some minor border adjustments between Germany and Hungary in the favor of Germany.

The work that had when in to getting the Ottomans into the place they were now was close to back breaking. While they still weren’t a fully industrialized nation they were moving in that direction with every passing year. Plus, there was enough resources there to make sure the Ottomans didn’t catch Dutch Disease. Well, I was hope I was right about that. So far, we hadn’t found any major oil fields in Arabia but then again it was I was hoping to delay that for a while focusing on other things within the Ottoman Empire. Still the OPDA even through it had been reduced in power by the treaty that ended the Great War was still a stone around the neck of the Ottoman Empire.

Grey balked at those terms and low balled the Ottomans and me. The counter was the same as pushing more chips into the pot as I called Grey’s bluff. At that point it became a question of who would blink first. That had been Grey when he blinked when the German military had recalled those on leave along with cancelling all leave passes. This was from the Russians all but screaming at Grey they weren’t ready for another war. Even through the whole the regular Russian Army was fully equipped with Mosins now the reserve formations of the Russian Army was a mix master of rifles. They still had everything ranging from Remington Rolling Blocks, Winchester Level Actions, and none standard rifles like the American made Krag–Jørgensen rifles they had brought on the surplus market in effort to fill out their needs for rifles. Production was no where close enough of Mosins to support another war and they knew it.

After the leaves passes were cancelled things came together fairly quickly. The British would forgive all remaining Ottoman debt held by the OPDA. Hungary would also turn over control of Burgenland to my empire with them footing the bill for all the Hungarian “settlers” in the region that had moved there in the aftermath of the 1911 crisis. While it was painful for the Hungarians to give up the Burgenland they made such a fuss about the Gyor region which I viewed as technically part of the Burgenland that I allowed them to keep it as I wanted a deal not a war. Honestly from the map I had seen it looked like we had something very close to the border of Austria and Hungary in the world that Dona and I had come from now.

The Burgenland for the time period would be an imperial territory as with all the Hungarian “settlers” leaving it would be damn near de-populated. There was still something of a debate as to the long term status of the Burgenland within the Empire at the moment. There were calls to weld it onto the Kingdom of Austria. Others were calling for it to become its own Duchy. I however was undecided at the moment on it through. Still, it would take some time to repopulate the area anyways and once that happened then we would decide the fate of the region.

As for the task at hand through, I had been working on these ideas for a while. For the women branches of service what I wanted to see was fairly simple. I wanted to see officers be allowed to rise to the ranks of Oberst in the army and Luftwaffe and Kapitän zur See in the navy. While I had wanted to see university accepted of marriage for women officers, I knew that was a bridge too far at this time. I however was hopping to see a cut out to get people more open to the idea women can be married and still be good officers. I was planning to do this by making a cut out if the woman in question married a disabled man, it would be allowed. I didn’t know if that would work or not but I was going to try it and see what happened. Still if they got knocked up it would lead to a discharge. I was going to try and get that changed as well through. If they gave up their child for adoption or turned over full parental rights to a family member, it might work. I wasn’t sure through if it would fly or not. The only thing I knew that would fly for sure through was opening up a number of rear in the gear jobs for women to serve in.

For the Schutztruppe, it would take more effort but I had a plan for them as well. I wanted to see small arms become the same as the regular army. Currently they were still running around with Mauser bolt actions instead of self-loaders. I also wanted to see an expanded arsenal system in the colonies. Currently there was a repair and maintain arsenal in Frederickville, but that was it. I wanted to see that arsenal turned into a full-scale production arsenal with a few more repair and maintain arsenals across the colonies. Well, where it made sense to and not put them in places that could be easily captured by the British. I also wanted to see a production plan for ordnance so they could have a steady supply of it in any future war.

Then there was the matter of artillery, aircraft, and panzers. I wanted to give them at least light pack howitzers and mortars with the heavier stuff being modernized for their artillery. Panzers I figure they could be handy downs from the regular army and it would work. Aircraft through I wasn’t sure on. Then again the Luftwaffe was also starting to recruit from the colonies as well. Then again what could I do with the aviation assets that had been left under control of the army with the Schutztruppe. I was leaning to the same thing with Panzers but I wasn’t sure of that.

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIX

Near Hamburg
Train
May 15 1921

Newly promoted Oberst Martin Friedrich Langholz of the Imperial German Marine Corp was on his way to Kiel to take command of the 1. Marineregiment. Before that could had happened, he had to go to Berlin to meet with the Kaiser first. Which for Martin this was the second time he had met with the Kaiser, who remembered him which had surprised Martin. The Kaiser liked to meet with all of the newly promoted Oberst and Kapitän zur See of all branches of the armed forces of Germany. That as of the last few years included the Schutztruppe. These meetings through had changed since the Kaiser first started them back in 1888 when he had first become Kaiser. That was largely to do the growth of the German armed forces since then. They were much larger affairs now instead of the small events they had started off as. Still the Kaiser took the time to speak to every officer getting promoted.

When the train had stopped at the Hamburg train station Martin took the time to rush out to the platform to get a copy of the local evening paper before returning to his cabin in the sleeping car. With his habit, Martin turned to the foreign affairs section of the paper to see what was going on in the world. The first piece in that section of the paper was about the ongoing Mexican Civil War and bloodbath that had become. Martin wondered if there would even be a Mexico after all this was said in done that would be recognizable from the way the report was worded together with what official reports he had seen about Mexico. Those reports he had seen in an official capacity had been when he had been serving as the executive officer of the 7. Marineregiment in Africa.

Those reports had made it clear that there was a flood of people trying to escape the violence in Mexico. Unknown to the Marine Oberst since the end of the Second Mexican-American War over 170,000 Mexicans had fled to German colonial holdings. The vast majority ended up in Africa but over 20,000 had ended up in the Asian colonies, mostly Hainan. Paraguay had accepted Mexican refugees without question in effort to recover from the losses they had suffered during the War of the Triple Alliance. Chile, Peru, and Argentina were also taking in fairly large number of Mexican refugees but they didn’t have the blanket policy of accepting everyone as the Paraguayans did. Demographically Mexico was going to be handicap as since 1910 when the population was over 15 million, over 1.5 million had fled Mexico with close to another half million having died in the civil war. That number rose to close 750,000 having died if you counted those who died in the Second Mexican-American War. Given the state of the multiple sided civil war that was ongoing in Mexico those numbers would keep growing for the foreseeable future.

Once Martin was finished with that article, he moved on to the section dealing with the Treaty of Bagram which was ending the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The terms were harsh on the Afghans. The British were directly annexing Kandahar and fairly vast chunk of southern part of what had been Afghanistan and attaching to the Raj. The rest of Afghanistan while still ruled from Kabul, Kabul itself would have to answer to the British more than had before the signing of the Treaty of Bagram. Now domestic issues would have to explained to the British from what Martin was getting out of it.

What wasn’t covered in this was that British had laid waste to Afghanistan. Whole villages had been removed from the map as various Pashtun tribes took to using hit and run tactics against the British Indian Army. This had caused the British to go into villages and take everyone there and put them into concentration camps. Then burn the village to the ground after looting anything of value out of it. The British had scorched the earth in Afghanistan.

Kaiser Wilhelm had made an attempt early in the Third Anglo-Afghan War to at least save the children in those camps as he had done elsewhere. The British however denied those camps existed and didn’t allow any children out of their camp system. The death rate in those camps were above 50% as the majority of the food being transported into Afghanistan was going to keeping the British Indian Army fed. The British in top secret cables believed over 100,000 Afghans had died from either combat or in the camps during the war.

Once he finished up with the Afghanistan piece Martin moved on. There was a piece on the American presidential election. Current President Theodore Roosevelt was retiring after two terms in office. It seemed that the Republican was in a free for all to see who would replace Roosevelt. As for the Democratic Party it seems they were coming around in supporting William Gibbs McAdoo. Martin knew of McAdoo from his time in America and disliked the man from just from his reputation alone. Hopefully the Republicans would win this election as Martin didn’t think McAdoo being president of the United States of America would bow well for relations between his nation and Germany.

After that through the international section of the paper didn’t have much, he hadn’t seen already. So, he turned to the Imperial section of the paper which covered everything from within the empire. The first thing he noticed was that Prussia would be going to proportional representation election system for municipal elections next year. That made Prussia the seventh member state of the German Empire to switch over to proportional elections for their municipal elections in the past decade or so. With Prussia, Austria, and Saxony all having gone over to proportional elections for municipal elections made Martin think it was only a matter of time before it became standard practice within all of the empire.

Then there was some writing on the Game and Hunting Act that had passed last year. The act itself had been controversial as many thought that laws like that were better left to the states of the empire than the empire itself. Kaiser Wilhelm had spoken in support it. Wilhelm was known as an avid hunter. He also made the case that game was a resource that needed to be preserved so future generations could enjoy the hunt as they currently could. He pointed out the case of the bison which once had a population so vast that they could be seen packed tightly together for kilometers on end in North America. Now they were hard to find with maybe a few thousand left across North America. It was also why had had taken efforts to save the bison and was attempting to raise them both here in Europe and Africa. Currently there were over 200 bison own by Wilhelm as he attempted to breed them so they could become part of the food stuff system of Germany. But it was a work that would have to be balanced and would take time.

Others disagreed with that game was a resource that could be managed by the empire. That was why they had launched a court case challenging the constitutionally of the Game and Hunting Law. This group had just filed a law suit in an Imperial District Court in an attempt to overturn the law. They didn’t deny that game was a resource, but if fell outside of the scope of resources that the imperial government could manage.

Tech Growth Part XIX

Teplitz-Schönau, Kingdom of Bohemia, German Empire
Storage Site/Abandoned Mine
August 21 1920

While my husband was off dealing with the new immigration bill that had just passed the Reichstag, I was viewing a project I had been working on for a few decades now if only in the past few years started to put into motion. That new immigration while important for Germany, I just wanted the time to do something I had always loved; science. Even through I no longer actively undertook science experiments myself, I still did publish papers on various subjects for reading within the scientific community. This method while not as fast as simply doing the work myself, it still worked to accelerate science at a faster pace than had been in the world that Wilhelm and I came from.

The immigration bill was simply reforming how migrants could enter Germany. It would streamline the process that had been created by the early immigration laws Wilhelm had pushed for. It would also add cut outs for the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society to recruit talented engineers, scientists, and others with it becoming easier for them to move into Germany and stay. Wilhelm had pushed for a way to being promising foreign students into Germany to give them a German education but that had failed to be included in this law.

I knew that was important, but as I held this vial of blood, I knew that it could possibly hold the key to something huge in the future. This vial was one of a few dozen vials of blood currently here that held the blood of Tasmanian Tiger. This blood had been taken from a female of the species in a zoo in Berlin. Here we had blood from both male and female Tasmanian Tigers with the records to which blood had come from which animal. While it wasn’t possible with the current technology and I would never live to see it, I was hoping this would lead to a DNA mapping project of the Tasmanian Tiger and a host of other animals that we had here. Possibly even restarting the various species via cloning.

While I might had been a petrol-chemist in a past life, that didn’t mean I didn’t keep up with other sciences prior to becoming Empress Consort to Wilhelm the Second. While my knowledge pool wasn’t as vast as it was in chemistry, I had started pushing for research into biological topics over the past decade. This included starting to put forward ideas about DNA in theory papers that hopefully would kick start research into those fields. One of these papers I had published in 1916. This paper had been based on my memory of the Griffith's experiment which if I remember correctly jump-started research into DNA as the building blocks of everything.

Even through Wilhelm and I both wanted to start an endangered species act neither of us thought it would be something that would legally stand given how Germany was currently set up. While we had figured out a loop hole, we believed would reduce some of the burdens on some species in the Game and Hunting Law that had past last year, we couldn’t do the same loop hole for endangered species. Even then the Game and Hunting Law was being challenged in the courts. While we believed it would hold up in the courts, we weren’t going to push are luck on an endangered species act at this time.

Wilhelm and I through had other means of doing things. This was a private project of mine that was being funded via our personal bank accounts. With Wilhelm and I being as rich as we were, we could afford this. We had bought this abandoned mine about a decade ago. Then this had led to a construction project to make this as suitable for long term storage of blood samples as was possible given the current equipment we had at hand.

Once it had finished last year, after a few delays from either waiting for equipment needed or labor ones, I had sent out request for the blood of a host of different species. We had things that range from the blood of Tasmanian Tigers to California Grizzly Bears to Caspian Tigers and everything in between for a day in the future we could map the DNA. Possibly even bring them back from the dead. The only thing that made me sad about this was I knew I would never live to see it.

The Ottoman Problem Pt IX

Istanbul
Review Stand
October 19 1920

For Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz he knew this day could no longer be delay. He was officially retiring from the German Army. Well, the first time he had left the German Army it had been under a cloud of shame. This time through he was being allowed to retire with full honors. He felt a bit odd carrying the baton of Generalfeldmarschall to which he had been promoted to earlier today by Kaiser Wilhelm himself. Prior to this he had been only a Generaloberst. This promotion told Goltz that he was now in the good graces of Kaiser Wilhelm, which he didn’t believe was possible after the falling out they had when he had basically been drummed out of the army the first he left the German Army in 1897.

Around his neck he wore a new honor that had been bestowed on him by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid II. The fact that the ruling elite that ruled the Ottoman Empire felt the need to award him the Order of Distinction the highest order of within the Ottoman Empire told him that they felt like his decades in the Ottoman Empire had made a difference here. Indeed, he could see the difference he had made as the First Guard Regiment of the Ottoman Army marched by the review stand, he along with Kaiser Wilhelm, Sultan Abdulmejid, and a few select others now stood on. They were marching perfectly in step with every soldier having their eyes forward except when their company commander called out for them to salute the review stand. Then their heads snapped to a 45 degree angle as they past by. Then the next command was called out and their heads once again snapped back to the front.

Indeed, the Ottoman Army had changed much under his training. They were good students from what Goltz had seen. It was more they hadn’t anyone good to learn from in a long time. While the Ottoman Army still needed more work it wasn’t going be a wet paper bag that it had been when he reached the Ottoman Empire all those decades ago. Their new officers were filling into their roles well, they just needed more seasoning through. The same could be said of their non-commissioned officers. However, a job like this was never done as you always find something to improve.

Ottoman society was on the whole changing. Even through Sultan Abdulmejid was normally the supreme power of the Ottoman Empire, everyone on this review platform included Abdulmejid knew he was only a figure head. The Ottoman Empire was being ran by a triumvirate of three Pashas. Those Pashas were dragging the Ottoman Empire into the 20th century. One of his last official acts prior to his retirement had been the opening of a new arsenal in Ankara that was starting to product the rifles that the soldiers below had. Along with those rifles, they would be making pistols and machine guns along with ordnance.

As other nations finally figured out the problems of self-loading rifles and started to field them in numbers, Germany had finally loosened their tight laws about exporting the Gewehr 02 along with the technical data package needed to make them. The Ottomans were the fourth nation after Poland, Georgia, and Japan to adopt the rifle as their standard service rifle. One didn’t count the Grand Duchy of the Baltic which many viewed as part of Germany itself even through it was still its own nation. Goltz also knew there were ongoing talks with the Romanians, Serbians, and Siamese about building these rifles for them or granting them a license to make it.

That arsenal was one of many projects ongoing within the empire to harness its potential of the Ottoman Empire. Together with the oil wealth they had found in the sands near Kirkuk and Basra was bring in the money needed to harness its potential. Unknown to Goltz Kaiser Wilhelm was also seeing his own pockets being lined with that oil money as he was a major shareholder in the German oil companies that were drilling for that oil. Wilhelm had been someone who had put a lot of money into helping the Ottomans stand up on their own and was only just now seeing that money return to his pockets.

Still on the whole of things the Ottomans were changing as a people as they were becoming more industrialized. While this was causing problems in of itself, the Ottomans were as strong as they had been in over a century.

Colonial Build Up Pt X

Oskarstadt[1], German New Guinea
General Store
December 19 1920

Juan Rodriguez was still getting use the humidity of his new home. 16 years ago Juan had been born in what was then Caborca, Sonora where you never had humidity like this. After the Americans had annexed the town they had renamed the town of Juan’s birth as they were removing everything city and place that had Spanish or Spanish sounding names. For Juan it would always be Caborca through as those Yankees couldn’t take that from him as they had taken so much from him they wouldn’t take that.

His father had owned the town’s general store. Even through Caborca wasn’t the largest of towns it had allowed him to make a modest living and to raise his family. Even when the Mexican civil war started Juan’s father tried to stay out of the violence. Then the Second Mexican-American War happened. Following their defeat at the hands of a smaller Mexican Army near Trincheras the American Army came into Caborca and destroy the down because they where pissed they had lost to the Mexicans. His father had died that night just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His sister took her own life soon after.

Juan tried to pick up the pieces with his mother after the Americans left. It made Juan hate the Americans but there was nothing he could do he was too young to join the army then. They were starting to get things off the ground again, just in time for the gringos to return again. This time through they were there to stay. Within two weeks of the Americans retaking Caborca Juan and his mother were on a train bound for a camp in the Arizonan desert with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

When Juan learned of the fact the Germans were taking kids out of the camps he tried to get on the list to be taken by the Germans away from the hell that was Arizona. Only for the German immigration officer to tell him sadly that it was only for orphans which Juan wasn’t. Only for him to find his mother and get his mother to tell the German that she wasn’t his mother. It had been painful to do that but even his mother wanted him out of that camp and did what was needed. The German just shook his head and allowed Juan on the carriage that took them to the train station. From there they travelled to Ide, California[2].

From Ide via Peral Harbor, he had ended up in an orphanage in Lae. Given he was 13 at the time he reached the orphanage he started a crash course that was there so he could learn to speak, read, and write in German. Juan however only stayed at the orphanage for just over two years before he ran away from it. Nothing against the orphanage but he knew as the gold rush was starting here there was money to be made. Not from mining the gold in the fields, but selling supplies to the miners.

Using what money he had Juan made it here to Oskarstadt which was just started to turn into a boom town. That had been nine months ago. At the time Juan had a few marks worth of supplies to sell and no building to house himself or sleep in. In his pocket was the last few remaining Pfennig he had to his name. Using the lessons his father had taught him prior to his death Juan started to clean up the market here in Oskarstadt.

Juan now had a building to house his stock along with a line of credit at the bank. Granted it was hard and demanding work but he enjoyed it. He was hoping to make enough money to buy passage for his mother to come join him. Last he heard his mother was somewhere near Torreón in the letter that had reached him last year. Then again so much was influx in Mexico it was hard to get mail in or out of Mexico at the current time. Yet Juan knew he was getting his mother out of Mexico no matter what it cost.

[1] Around about where OTL Wau is located

1920 Year in Review

Domestic

Military Women Reform Act of 1920

Under this act the role of the women branches of the armed forces are expanded. There can now be commissioned women medical and veterinarian doctors which prior to this act women had been limited to being nurses only. Further women officers can now reach the rank of Oberst/Kapitän zur See and now even have a path to marriage and stay in service if they want to stay in service. This path is there if they marry a man who is disable and can’t for medical reasons be the primary breadwinner of the family. So long as they are not mentally invalid, they can stay in service.

This act also cover pregnancy which prior to this act had been an automatic discharge once they reached the 5th or 6th month of a pregnancy. Under this law if a woman becomes pregnant while in service, they will be given the choice forward. If they wish to raise the child themselves, they will still be discharged at the same time frame has had been in place prior to this law. However, if they are willing to give up their child for adoption or turn over parental rights to a family member, they will be placed on half pay at around the time of their 6th month of pregnancy. They will then stay on half pay till two months after the child is born at which point, they will return to service. The child at that point will be turn over to either their family to raise or an orphanage.

Finally, under this act the role of women branches of the German Armed Forces was expanded. These new expanded roles include roles in band, finance, legal, medical, quartermaster, signal, and transportation branches of the armed forces. While not expected to be needed all women in the women branches will qualify with pistols in the oft even of a hostile power achieving a breakthrough and causing damage to rear area personal. Prior to this woman weren’t trained in firearms.

These women branch laws also apply for the Schutztruppe as well.

Burgenland Act of 1920

On annexation Burgenland had a population of under 6,000 souls. Given this limiting population it was clear something would have to be done to rehabilitate the region. For 36 months after passage of this law, those who had been forced to leave the Burgenland will be given the chance to return to their family’s land so long as they have proof for said claims. Those lands will be returned free of charge. After this time frame if the population is under 100,000 souls a homesteading period will take place to help repopulate the region.

When the Burgenland region regains a population of 100,000 souls a vote will take place to decide on its future. The voters in the region will decide if they will become a new duchy within the Empire or join the Kingdom of Austria. If they decide on becoming a new duchy Kaiser Wilhelm will hold the rights to name a duke for this duchy.

All of those in the Burgenland who lived there on annexation will have 18 months to either renounce their Hungarian citizenship and become subjects of the German Empire or move out. If they select to move out the German Empire will pay them a fair wage for all land and other items that can’t be moved with them.

Immigration Act of 1920

This act streamlines the way factories and farms can recruit foreign workers. However, if fraud is committed to get visas for migrants or if they fail to pay said migrants a wage equal to their German counterparts the fines were increased. Farm owners and CEOs could also face jail time if this system of fraud or denying proper pay with malice in intent to do so. It also creates a fine system for those CEOs and farm owners who make use of illegal migrants. This to can also lead to jail time if malice is found in the use of illegal migrants.

It also created a system which will allow the Carl Friedrich Gauss Society to recruit skilled engineers, scientists, and others to move to Germany. This is replacing the old system that was ad hoc. Further this covers the CFG Society recruiting promising students to allow them finish their education here in Germany.

Then there is the part of the immigration act that set up a system for those who are immigrating to Germany and hadn’t been recruited via the above paths.

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

The Munich Agreement

It was this agreement that kept the Bosnia Crisis from turning into another general war in Europe. In return for recognition of Hungarian annexation of Bosnia by all powers the following things happened.

First Hungary turned over the Burgenland to Germany which annexes this region into the German Empire as an imperial territory. All Hungarian “settlers” that moved to the area post 1/Jan/1911 will moved out of the region. This accounts for roughly 90% of the population of Burgenland that Germany is annexing. (Note this is roughly OTL borders here Austria and Hungary here. There are small changes in Germany’s favor ITL but no major cities changed hand.)

Secondary the British forgive all loans that they held over the Ottomans via the Ottoman Public Debt Administration. Further the OPDA is shuttered.

Thirdly the Hungarians grant the Italians most favored nation status.

Fallodon Agreement

In the aftermath of the Bosnian Crisis the British delivered an ultimatum to Budapest. This ultimatum was a carefully worth document but made it crystal clear that the British were tried of Budapest flying by the seat of its pants form of domestic and foreign affairs policy making. The ultimatum was either you do what we say or loose all lines of credit along with our alliance. Budapest felt they had no choice but to agree.

This would lead to the naming of Tasziló Festetics as King of all Magyars and ending the regency that had been in place since the founding of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1907. The British supported Tasziló Festetics because of his marriage to Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton along with all his issues having proper British education.

All major Hungarian domestic and foreign affair polices decisions are to be run by London first. This Agreement spells out what “major” decisions are. If effectively makes the British Ambassador to Budapest head of the government of the Kingdom of Hungary. Then is spells out what the Hungarians need to do allow to have proper control of their own nation again.

The Hungarians are far from happy with this agreement but they are smart enough to understand that London is the only thing keeping them from being crushed by seven nations that border Hungary.

Treaty of Bagram

The British Raj annexes all land below the southern bank of the Helmand River and the Arghandab River Valley. It also turns the rest of Afghanistan into a British Puppet with the British having total control of the Afghan government. This is even more pronounced in Kabul than Budapest.

Serbian Military Agreement

In the aftermath of the Bosnian Crisis, Belgrade which had been focused on recovering from its civil war looked around and saw its military had been suffering from atrophy since the end of the civil war and was in need of major reforms and new equipment. Reacting out to Berlin Belgrade was looking for new armament and advisers to help them reform their army. Berlin agreed and set up an aid/loan package for the Serbian Army. This included a new sweet of German made small arms and other weaponry along with a team of advisers to reform their army. However, with the agreement of the Ottomans the bulk of this was made clearly to aim at the Hungarians.

Foreign Relations

United States

McAdoo was elected as President of the United States of America so things got much worse.

Britain

An understanding had been reached; this is not the time for trousers measuring contest. At least for now anyways.

France

An understand has been reached. Stay out our way we stay out of yours.

Italy

They are keeping warm this year from bellying laughing at the Hungarians.

Russia

We need all of the winter gear! We also need more rifles! Shit we really need more rifles.

Japan

Excellent

Hungary

You bums are lucky you have the British covering for your stupid stunts. Otherwise, the German Army would be goose step marching in Budapest right now. Also we know about the “agreement” you made with the British you really are chumps. (Note Hungary is dropping off the Great Power status after this year)

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Scharnhorst Class, Battlecruiser

45,600 tons Standard Load, 9 x 42 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 12.8 cm DP turreted secondaries, Well Armored/KCA, 28 kts (1921 Redesign)

Scharnhorst
Gneisenau

Mars Class Destroyer

1,450 tons Standard Load, 4 x 10.5 cm in Single Turrets, Splinter Armor, 36 kts

Mars
Jupiter
Bellona
Diana
Herkules (Hercules)
Merkur (Mercury)
Minerva
Neptun (Neptune)
Salacia
Victoria
Vulkan (Vulcan)
Apollo
Aurora
Fauna
Fides
Juventas
Luzifer (Lucifer)
Luna
Pietas
Sancus
Saturn
Virtus
Ceres
Lua

U-76 Class Coastal Attack Submarine

300 tons surfaced, 330 tons submerged, 4 bow tubes, Various Autocannons, 14 kts surfaced, 7 kts submerged

8 Ordered

C.VII*

Crew: 3
Powerplant: V-12, Liquid Cooled, 350 kw
Maximum Speed: 199 km/h
Service Ceiling: 4,000 m
Endurance: 4 hours
Armament: Flex Mounted MG 98As
Notes: Carrier Capable

SB.III**

Crew: 4
Powerplant: 2 x V-12, Liquid Cooled, 330 kw
Maximum Speed: 165 km/h
Service Ceiling: 2,500 m
Range: 700 km
Armament: 4 Flex Mounted MG 98As and up to 900 kilos of ordnance
Notes: Designed for Night Operations

*Roughly the same handling as the OTL Blackburn R-1 Blackburn

**Roughly the same handling as the OTL Martin NBS-1

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age. Wilhelm is 61 years of age with Dona being 62.

Spy v Spy

Groningen, Dutch Kingdom
Apartment Complex, MI6 Safe House
January 4 1921

Commander Walter Cowan DSO MVO formally of the Royal Navy was doing some paperwork as the moment. Within each reach for him was an American made Savage Automatic Pistol in .32 Browning. 32 Browning was what the Anglo-American world knew as the wildly populator 7.65 x 17 mm Browning round here on the continent. Cowan didn’t like the small size of the bullet but he also understood the need for plausible deniability if something when sour here like he and all MI6 were expecting at the moment. None of the weapons in this MI6 Safe House could be linked backed to the British Empire with it all being either American or German made weaponry that could be possible to pass off as something a Dutch person might had brought.

Form Cowan his naval career came to an end off the coast of Brittany during the Great War. This came during the time the Royal Navy tried to maintain a close blockade of France during that war. As losses mounted through the Royal Navy came to understand the days of a close blockade were over and backed up to a more distance blockade. For Cowan this didn’t come soon enough. His destroyer was on patrol off the Brittany coast looking for blockade runners or prizes when it was jumped by squadron of French motor torpedo boats. During the following engagement Cowan destroyed three of the French MTB with gunfire, and ran another one over with his destroyer before the others broke off for home with his damaged destroyer. Cowan however was wounded during the engagement and lost three fingers because of it. With the lost of those three fingers all on his left hand he was medically discharged from the Royal Navy even over his protest that he was still fit to lead and fight.

Unable to stay in service Cowan found other ways to stay in action. He applied for service with the Shanghai Municipal Police in 1906. Shanghai through an international city was known as a rough and tumble city outside the heavily international sections of the city near the piers. Even with him missing three fingers on his left hand he was accepted into service with the rank of Sub-Inspector after undergoing a crash course in police tactics and policy.

Cowan stayed with the Shanghai Municipal Police having risen to the rank of Chief Inspector by 1917. At which point he was contacted by an old friend in the Royal Navy. This was in the aftermath of the embarrassing Arabian effort by MI6 and the release of their agents by the Germans. There was a need to reorganize MI6 as they were just now figuring out how good the German intelligence agency was. They wanted Cowan return to Europe and take up a role in the reforming MI6. He was now a field chief for MI6 running operations out of the Netherlands aimed at German targets.

After what happen earlier this month all MI6 agents in Europe were on the alert waiting for possible German reactions. An MI6 agent assigned to work undercover at Essen had been uncovered by German counterintelligence. Instead of surrendering or failing on his own sword, that agent tried to escape. That turn into a gun fight with German police. A gun fight that left one German police officer dead and another two wounded with a critically wounded British agent under heavy guard in a military hospital.

That agent had been assigned to find out what was going on with German naval armor production. They had found out through a second hand source in the Danish Navy that the Germans were making far more naval armor than for the ships they were building. The question was why? What was the use for all that extra naval armor? Wanting answers, they had sent an agent to Essen in attempt to find out. However, he was made by German counterintelligence by unknown means and was now being held by the Germans. There was a fear the Germans would try for revenge for the fallen police officer by killing an MI6 officer somewhere else.

Unknown to Cowan the Germans were already working on their revenge, but they say revenge is a dish best served cold. A saying that German intelligence deeply believed in. Their reaction to this murder of a German police officer would be cold and calculating when they stuck back. It would also be an equal to the actions caused by this British agent.

They were also giving that British agent the best medical care that Germany had to offer as they wanted to talk to him. The best interrogator within the German intelligence machine was already on her way to Essen to talk to this agent. With her training as a psychologist put together with her natural ability to put people at ease gave her a special ability to get people to spill their deepest darkest secrets. While it took time with her methods the information, she was able to get out of those who she integrated was always top notice and checked out.

Colonial Build up Pt XI

Windhuk, German Southwest Africa
Apartment Complex, Recreation Room
March 15 1921

Major Martin Padovaner had taken two months of leave to bring his family here to Windhuk to visit his parents. His parents were getting older and it was an open question of how much both of them would be able to be active. His father had already moved to being a part time banker with Martin’s mother looking to do the same in her job as a teacher. That was one of the things about the colonies that you rarely saw in Germany proper itself. Employers were much more willing to work with their older employees who were at retirement age or pass it. They would give these employees special benefits in an effort to keep them on payroll. This including things like only have to work part time hours along with other benefits.

Currently Martin was in civilian clothes as he was playing a game of poker that was rumor to been created by the Kaiser himself. As Martin was looking at his hold cards, one of his father’s bank teller buddies was speaking to him, “Martin what do you think of the reforming of the Schutztruppe that just happened?”

“Its overdue.” Martin replied. In 1915 he had been promoted to the rank he currently held. However when that promotion happened the color of his waffenfarbe had changed. It had changed from the dark red of the artillery to forest green of the Jägers. Given the changing term of what it meant to be a Jäger in the German Army and with Martin’s history of special operations it made since to move him over to one of the two Jäger regiments within the Schutztruppe.

Martin was hoping with the new Jäger regiments that were being formed that a promotion would be for coming. He had already past his exams for promotion to Oberstleutnant, the problem through was the lack of open billets for people that were in the Jägers. With the new act through there were be three more Jägers regiments within the Schutztruppe that would be stood up over the next couple of years. Martin was hoping that would bring promotions. It also would make it easier to get spare magazines for his pistol.

The dealer who was one of the maintenance guys in this apartment complex was keeping an eye on the card game so it would keep going. He was being well paid by those who came to the weekly card game for a few hours of dealing cards. However once Martin threw in his 10 Pfennig coin he removed the top card from the deck and placed it into the discard pile. He then took the next three cards and flopped them on the table.

Martin looked at his hold cards again and was liking what he was seeing. Speaking to his father’s neighbor who was at this weekly poker game, “How is your son doing Denys?” Denys was Ukrainian by birth but had ran away from the region with his wife and daughter and son during the Russian crackdown in the Ukraine during the civil war. After bouncing around his family minus their daughters who had died from Scarlet Fever before they landed here in Windhuk.

In a thick accent Denys spoke, “Andriy has been accepted to the University of Windhuk. I couldn’t be prouder of him.” Even with the thick accent you could hear the pride Denys had of his son. Andriy was in his final year at gymnasium where he had done well. His goal was to become a pharmacist.

As the colonies built themselves up the infrastructure made its best effort to keep up. The University of Windhuk was one of a half dozen universities had have been founded in the past couple years in the colonies in attempt to bring higher education outside of technical schools to the colonies with the University of Windhuk being the university for Southwest Africa.

Looking around the colonies one could notice the difference in them. All of the major cities within the colonies had running water and electric power for most areas within their borders. Even in the medium size and some smaller cities within the colonies had a limited area cover by a power grid and pipelines for running water. The bottleneck was that of skilled workers to expand both so it could cover demand and get these utilizes to all. However, with every year that passed more and more skill workers were filling the demand and it was snowballing with the gaps being closed out now.

It was at that point all the other players started talking about their own families. Given the ethnic backgrounds that made for some conversation. Even the younger ones at this table who were just starting their families had their own stories to tell. Those stories were more along the lines of their babies first step to the older card player’s stories of their kids growing up or what they were doing in school.

This was all their chance to decompress and have some fun.

Europe in 1920

Updated map of Europe - as of the Munich Agreement, 1920

Full resolution image here - https://www.deviantart.com/samuel-von-strasburg/art/The-Munich-Agreement-Europe-1920-big-893634574

The Northern Lights

Potsdam
Sanssouci
May 15 1921

I sat on the porch of one of my many castles as I looked up at the heavens. It’s been a long time since I seen the Northern Lights, and it wasn’t like this. During my world tour before the Great War had seen then when Dona and I had crossed the Northern Atlantic, but it wasn’t this bright or vivid. Tonight, they were also dancing widely across the night sky.

Dona who was next to me watching the sky with me on this cool night, “This must be a strong geomagnetic storm to cause the auroras acting this wildly.” She said a blunt statement. It was also the first words either of us had spoken in over five minutes as we watched the night sky dance after taking our seats after being informed of what was happening. Seeing the Northern Lights this far south wasn’t a common event so we were both watching them. They were truly a thing a beauty but also were dangerous.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes as we were both left in our own minds thinking about this. Finally, I broke the silence, “What kind of damage can we expect from this geomagnetic storm?” While I kept up with various science articles, I couldn’t hold a candle to Dona in scientific knowledge and I knew it.

The silence returned as she thought about my question. Then a moment later she answered, “It depends on how strong this storm is. I don’t think this is a strong as the Carrington Event so I don’t believe we are looking at massive damage to the power grid, but it might be damaged somewhat by this storm. Telegraph stations will most likely see some damage from this, but how much I can’t be sure of. Without more data I can’t give you a good answer dear.”

“That’s fine.” I replied. “I don’t expect you to have all of the answers.”

“We should use this to funnel money into another observatory.” Dona said next. “Space weather will become more important as we keep building up and the last thing, we need is some unknown coronal mass ejection to reach the power of the Carrington Event to destroy everything we have done.”

I didn’t reply to that. As I didn’t need to. I was already in full agreement with that. Knowledge was power, and I wanted that power centered in Germany itself. The question was how would we go about getting another observatory up and running.

What my mind was focused on through wasn’t that. No it was something that I had given the green light to a full weeks ago and would be carried out under the Northern Lights. While I was pissed about the death of the police officer in Essen, I wasn’t about to kick start a spy war. It was far too easy to lose control and it turn into a shooting war. No, I wanted a proportional response to his death.

So with it being a proportional reply my intelligence agency had selected a MI6 officer who was about the same rank as the police officer who had died had been operating out of Denmark. His friends would find him as his desk looking something like Al Pacino in Scarface with a mountain of blow in front of him. Well maybe not a mountain of coke in front of him but it would be a tragic drug overdose. Just some low level MI6 officer who just happened to be hooked on the Blow. However, the truth of his death would be known to those who wanted to see what it was for.

American Affairs Pt I

Washington DC
Naval Office
July 18 1921

Secretary of the Navy Cameron A. Morrison was reviewing war plans that had been drawn up by the Naval War College for possible war between the United States of America and the German Empire. Currently there was no naval general staff in the United States Navy. Even through former President Theodore Roosevelt championed the idea the various bills that put forward setting up such a system always died in Congress. So instead of working with a general staff, Morrison had to work with the Naval War College which was based in Newport, Rhode Island for possible plans for a war with other nations. Then it would be up to the Chief of Naval Operations to carry out these plans as he saw fit in the event of a war.

In both major parties within the United States there was a growing understand of the threat the German Empire presented to the United States. While some like Theodore Roosevelt wanted to work with the Germans, he was in a small minority on the subject. Germany was fighting for economic supremacy with the United States. Currently Germany was in a close second to that of the United States of America, if one counted its colonial efforts. If it was just Germany itself there was more of a gap in economic power but not as much as some would like.

With the Germans eating the Americans’ lunch in South America notably in Brazil and Chile, put together with the Japanese shutting the US out of trading in some areas of China, there was a growing support for a massive naval building program the likes which had never been seen before in the United States. The Washington Class of battleships were proof of that. They were the first class in the dreadnought or super-dreadnought era to see four ships in its class. While Tennessee Class that had come before them had three ships, it was looking like the four-ship order of the Washington Class would be the new norm for the USN.

Another sign that Congress was feeling the heated about Germany and Japan was the fact the USN was finally getting money to build cruisers. There had been a decade long gap between cruiser classes for the USN. They were also building up a heavy cruiser force to fight with the German heavy cruiser force. Indeed, Congress had basically opened up the flood gates and the USN was finally having the money to build the fleet its admirals had been dreaming of for generations.

The problem was the Kaiserliche Marine out numbered the USN at the moment. Even more when you brought in their allies in the form of the Imperial Japanese Navy. As such the Naval War College had two sets of plans. One was for the worse case, which was if war with German was to break out tomorrow. The other was if the current naval build up was allowed to go on with a project start date 20 years in the future.

With this both plans were very different. If war was started tomorrow, the USN would be have its dreadnoughts along the Eastern Seaboard to be a defense against any German landing attempt along the East Coast. The problem was the German battlefleet was three knots faster than the American battleline. As such the Germans could decide the range and maintain it. Or they could decline the battle if it didn’t suit them. While work was underway on the first of the 24 knotters in the Tennessee Class was on going, it would be a long while before the US battleline could match the German one. Further they had nothing to match I Scouting Group of the German HSF.

Both plans however called for a Japanese first strategy. Tokyo was currently pissing all over the Open Door Notes that had been published in the aftermath of the fall of the Qing Empire. While Germany wasn’t much better, they weren’t gearing up for another war with China like the Japanese were. Yet in the war happens tomorrow it called for what amounted to burning dump trucks full of cash in effort to crash build a fleet that can go toe to toe with the Germans and Japanese. While that was happening they would engage in commerce raiding war using submarines, merchant ships pressed into the armed merchant cruiser role, along with the old cruisers of the fleet. In this plan through it made it crystal clear if those cruisers ran into hostile cruisers they would be dead baring fluke events playing out in these battles. The hope of the war happens tomorrow was Germany would tried of it and bow out allowing American forces to defeat the Japanese and open up full trade with China again.

As for the war off in the distance future it bases its plan off a few ideas. The first was that Germany would give up its naval arms race with the British sometime within the next decade. This would allow the USN to close the gap it was currently facing. Secondary the Japanese would be bankrupted out the race allowing the USN to have a large edge in ships. The second part was that the USN could win such a war against both Germany and Japan if they take the same path as in the first. However victory was a moving target. Total victory against Japan was viewed as possible. Germany through they didn’t believe they could attack Germany directly but it could throw it out of South America and attack its colonies. As the losses mounted Germany would sue for peace. Or that was the thought process anyways.

Unknown to Morrison Germany had their own plans for a possible war with the United States. The major difference through was the German plans for such a war was done with junior staff officers as it was viewed as so unlikely to happen in its own event there was no point in putting massive resources into it that would get an even better plan in place than the current war plan was. The thought process was that any war with the US would draw the British in against them. So, there was no point in putting a major effort in to it. It was more a process to season up the younger staff officers than anything else at this point. Even with those in command understanding Washington was becoming a member of the anti-German bloc in all but name at this point.

Domestic Issues Pt IX

Laibach
Train Station
September 30 1921

Soldat Filip Krajnc was stepping off the train that was bringing him back to his hometown. While he was still on active duty, that was coming to an end. His orders were to report to 503rd Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 305th Infantry Division. Both were reserve units based in this part of the German Empire. Once he reported to the 503rd he would then spend another two weeks on active duty before being released from active duty service and entering the reserves.

In plain eye sight was a recruiting station for the new smelting plant that had just opened in Laibach. Since Carniola had joined the German Empire it had prosperous economic growth. While its industrial base was still smaller than some of the other duchies of the German Empire, it had improved. Most of the factories here in Laibach were food processing factories that was taking in the products of the various farms that were all around Carniola and turning them into food that could be stored and shipped all over the German Empire. Some of those included the new flash freezing technique that allowed food to be stored for far longer than it could otherwise be.

Filip had such food when he was in the army. It was a new type of food but one the army was looking at adding to its logistical supply line to help feed itself. Maybe not at the front, but it would work for rear echelon positions along with soldiers going through training. For Filip he didn’t care for it. The food was bland and tasteless. It however did its job of keeping him filled. Not that he would reach for if there was a choice in the matter through.

Knowing he had time before he had to reach the headquarters unit of what would be part of his reserve service Filip walked over to the recruiting station. While still new to the German Empire, Carniola had its own education system that was different than the bulk of Germany. Even through as time marched on it was becoming more German. This was partly because of the Ministry of Education which was one of the clearing house ministries within the empire who job it was to make sure various schools understood each other. This meant through various soft pressures Carniola was adopting a more German education system. For Filip that meant he really didn’t have a clear path forward now that his time in the army was done.

The thing of it was, Germany was always running short of workers. This had forced a number of investments in labor saving technologies. While it did work to some degree, Germany was still regularly short of the number of workers it needed with unemployment across the European part of the empire generally running at around 4%. So people exiting their conscripted service people had jobs waiting for them. Filip knew that so he was sounding out the smelting plant for how much they would pay him. Because prior to this he was thinking of applying for a job at the railroad prior to this. However if the smelting plant paid better maybe he would go to work for them instead.

Interlude Into the Mind of a Russian Pt I

Near, Serpukhov
Royal Train Carriage
November 5 1921

Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin and several high-ranking members of his government were travelling to the Tula Arsenal to see a test of a self-loading rifle. This rifle was going into field trials at the start of the new year with the elite Life-Guards Moscow Regiment and His Majesty's Life-Guards Cuirassier Regiment. If it did well there it would be approved for production. Stolypin however had a member of his economic team run the numbers for production of this new self-loading rifle. Russia couldn’t afford to fully equip the army with these rifles as it would possibly bankrupt the nation with all the on-going projects going on within the Russian Empire at the current time. However, to show Russia was a great power they must field one even if it couldn’t replace all of Mosin’s rifles.

The Great War and the following Civil War drove home the point the Russian military simply didn’t have enough firearms. There had been points during the Civil War where pikes that had been crudely made were being issued as they didn’t have anything else. Since the end of the Civil War one of the many rearmament efforts had been an effort to fully equip the Army with enough Mosin’s Rifles that they wouldn’t have to use the dozens of various rifles they then have in service at the end of the Civil War. Even now there were reserve formations equipped with American made Winchester level action rifles in standard 3-line rifle cartridge. Current projections were staying those rifles would be placed into storage by 1923.

One hard lesson the Russian Army had been forced to learn from the Great War was needed for ordnance and logistical support of the front line formations. It was why they weren’t surplusing non-standard rifles that fired the standard 3-line rifle cartridge. While there was money to be made there, they knew they needed the firearms more for when the next war came. They didn’t want that mad rush of trying to get anything that could shoot into the hands of troops. Its also why one of the challenges with any Russian self-loading rifle was it had to fire the standard 3-line rifle cartridge. It was understood this new self-loading rifle was going to support Mosin’s rifle not replace it as it was in other armies.

There was a host of reasons that caused Stolypin to tell the British no during the Bosnian Crisis. Stolypin believed that Prime Minister Grey wanted to go to war with the Germans over the Bosnian Crisis. Stolypin had looked at the problem and didn’t see any hope for Russia in such a war. The army wasn’t ready. His efforts to build up domestic industrial production in Russia were no where close to being finished. The British weren’t in a position to help the Russian Army even with the new port at Murmansk and that rail line that had been built up to make use of that port. France was staying out any such war and made that clear to everyone. Plus there was still the ongoing issues in the Central Asian part of the Russian Empire. Stolypin had told Grey there will be no war. After Stolypin had said there would be no war an agreement was reached that allowed the crisis to end peacefully.

Stolypin was the de facto ruler of Russia right now and not Tsar Michael. Michael was nothing more than a figure head, and Michael knew it along with most of the various royal courts across Europe. Stolypin was trying to build up the Russian economy as he knew after watching what had happened in Germany under Wilhelm the Second that if you build a good economy, it would cure many ills that you were facing. While the plight of the average Russian commoner had improved since the end of the civil war, it wasn’t by large enough margins in Stolypin’s mind. This was even with the breakneck page of reforms Stolypin had been pushing for the economy of the empire.

Everything in the Russian Economy was growing rapidly under the Stolypin reforms. Steel production itself since the end of the Civil War had increased over 450% of its pre-Great War production levels and it was still growing. What was hurting Russia through was the lack of specialize steel productions that one needed for an industrialized nation. That area of steel production at seen much more modest growth than steel production on the whole. Still, it was improving year on year.

One area that Stolypin really wanted to improved was that of machine tool production. While Russia had seen an increase in domestic machine tool production it was one of the more modest sectors of growth in the Russian economy. They were still depended on imported machine tools from the United Kingdom, United States, France, and even in some cases the Italians. From what his staff had figure out Russia was currently fourth in raw economic power and was behind the United States, Germany, and United Kingdom. However, it was not that far out in front of the Italians or French at the moment and fairly far behind the British.

That made Stolypin wonder what Kaiser Wilhelm was up to at the moment. He was attempting to organize an international meeting of the likes that hadn’t been seen since before the Great War. Stolypin supported the idea just on principle alone. He also hoped that this would allow him to reduce his military spending to allow that to be refocused on the industrialization of Russia.

But what was Wilhelm’s angle at this? Stolypin knew Wilhelm while not a Grand Master was a damn good chess player. So why was he attempting this? What was his goal and what was he really trying to achieve? That was something Stolypin was trying to understand as he had learned during his time as prime minister, this job didn’t allow you to have principles. There was only power and those too weak or too stupid to hold it. When dealing with Germany one had to be careful as they were always sharping their swords in secret waiting for the right moment to strike. So, Stolypin was treading carefully with this attempt of Wilhelm at the moment as he had his intelligence team trying to figure out what Wilhelm’s angle was on this.

1921 Year in Review

Domestic

None

Changes Within Government Personal

None

Newly Signed Treaties

None

Foreign Relations

United States

The tunnel boring machines are warming up at this point.

Britain

Things are in flux.

France

An understand has been reached. Stay out our way we stay out of yours.

Italy

They are still keeping warm this year from bellying laughing at the Hungarians.

Russia

We need all of the winter gear! Also, we are still laughing at the Hungarians.

Japan

Excellent

Newly Adopted Military Equipment

Pistole 21

Weight: 670g
Length: 170 mm
Barrel Length: 98 mm
Cartridge: 7.65 x 17 mm Browning Automatic Cartridge, (OTL .32 ACP)
Action: Blowback
Feed System: 8 round detachable box magazine
Notes: This issued to the following groups, general officers, Feldjägers, Intelligence Services, and Redacted

2 cm Flak 21

Weight: 71.05 kg
Barrel Length: L/70 or 1,700 mm
Shell: 20 x 115 mm
Action: Method: Advance Primer Blowback
Elevation: -10/85
Traverse: Full 360
Rate of Fire: 400 (Cyclic), 200 (Practical)
Effective Range(Against Aircraft): 1,000 m
Feed System: 60 round drum magazines

Baden Class Battleships

42,800 tons standard load, 9 x 42 cm L/45s in Triples/Superfiring, 12.8 cm DP turreted secondaries, 24 kts, well armored/KCA

Baden
Krain
Bayern
Sachsen

Brünn Class Heavy Cruiser

11,400 tons Standard Load, 9 x 21 cm L/56s in Triples/Superfiring, 12.8 cm DP secondaries, Cruiser Armor/KCA, 34 knots

Brünn
Königsberg

U-84 Class Attack Submarine

1,200 tons surfaced, 1,600 tons submerged, 4 bow, 2 aft tubes, 2 x 10.5 cm deck guns, double hull, 17 kts surfaced, 7 kts submerged

6 Ordered

S II*

Crew: 4
Powerplant: 2 x V-12, Liquid Cooled, 280 kw
Maximum Speed: 191 km/h
Range: 900 km
Service Ceiling: 3,500 m
Armament: 3 x MG 98As, and either a single aerial torpedo** or up to 1,200 kg of ordnance
Notes: Mostly in service with the KM, but sees limited service within the Luftwaffe but more as a transport than its design roles.

*Performance is roughly the same as the OTL Dornier Do J

**A heavily modified variant of the OTL Siemens Torpedo Glider

Health of Wilhelm and Dona

Outside Wilhelm’s glass knee through they are doing as well as one can expect of people of their age. Wilhelm is 62 years of age with Dona being 63.

Money Makes the World Go Round VI

Vienna
Hofburg
January 2 1922

Dona and I would soon be travelling north to Berlin after sending the Christmas at Burg Hohenzollern than New Years with Lizi, Eitel and their family fairly large family. Lizi shut down the baby maker after having her fifth child in 1916. Wolfgang was a handful as he was a rambunctious child, but given he was only five years old at this point in time it was somewhat understandable. I however was hoping he would outgrow it. Then again, I had so many grandkids at this point it was something of a challenge to get them all together. That however would happen latter this year when the last of my children that I made with Dona would be getting marry.

While that was a happy thought, I had to push that out of my mind and focus on the report that was in my hands. Well book would be a better way to put this report given the length of it. This was a report that had been put together with work between my intelligence service and the Treasury. Work on this report started shortly after reading one another report akin to this one around the same time last year. Understanding that any future war would be driven by pure economic and industrial power, I had my intelligence service work with the Treasury to write up this report yearly.

This report gave me a good idea how strong not only the German economy was but the economies of various nations along with their war making potential. It also highlighted areas that would be at risk of not meeting demand for something if a general war were to start or could possibly be at risk. It also show case German weakness which I wanted to know about. This work was highly detail and unlike a lot of reports that I gotten in the habit of skim reading because I only had so much time to go around, this one I read every word written by the people here. I also wrote my own notes down as trying recount their words per verbatim would be too much even for me.

In this report it broke down each nation in rank order. As with past decades the United States of America was the world’s largest economy. What was surprising me through was how close Germany was getting to the economic power of the US. As in the first couple of pages before highlighting various topics dealt with who was above and below them, or in the case of the US just below them. While Germany wasn’t nipping at the American heels it was a far closer gap than I had ever hope to achieve. Currently Germany and America were with in the low single digits difference in economic and industrial power.

The big weaknesses for the US through was labor unrest, the still ongoing labor shortages in the American south, and its dependency on imported rubber. The various industrialize giants in the US were still all about strike breaking and paying their workers peanuts. So that wasn’t all that surprising. Neither was the labor shortages in the South. Even through officially my efforts at recruiting African-American out of deep south ended, it never really did. Prior to Second Mexico I used Monterrey as that hub. Then once that started I when to more of an ad hoc system of using the fairly large German merchant marine force and those that could get to Havana to get them to the colonies. That was paying out in massive dividends and one of the reasons I believed Germany was closing the gap. For the rubber, they were depended on imports, however with what I was planning for a naval war that could be cut if given time.

Germany itself was not in the strongest position it could be in. For the last few years we have finally become a food exporter instead of an importer. The problem was a lot of agriculture regions that finally allowed this to happen were at risk of Russian invasions in the Baltic. While Burgenland would help it would take time for that region to recover from the whiplash it when through. If the Grand Duchy of the Baltic and Lithuania were to fall the ability to feed Germany itself would be challenging.

Even through the strategic reserve system I had pushed for would help with this, Germany was still far too depended on getting resources into our nation to feed the economy and there by the war effort. Things like rubber, tungsten, molybdenum, and oil were highlighted in this report but there were other resources that we were hurting for as well. The majority through we got from the colonies. Oil was increasing in domestic production as the Matzen oil field was coming online here in the Kingdom of Austria. There was also ongoing research into synthetic rubber and oil production to help out. The real weak link through was molybdenum which we could only get from either Norway or Chile. While Russia was starting to mine it they refused to sale to us. While it might be possible to get it from Norway during a war Chile would be all but cut off from us save for the rare blockage runner. If war came with Russia while getting those mines would be worth the effort, we would have far more pressing issues to deal with in such a war.

The problem was how to break the British blockade. I had the naval staff looked at the idea of building large transport submarines as a way to get around blockade, we had decided against building them at this time. They were to single tasked and too costly to use in anything but a war for the amount of cargo they could haul. So even while work on logistical support U-boats were ongoing at this time, pure transport submarine ideas had been shelved for the time being. Even then with the fairly large ongoing naval arms race that was sweeping the world it might not even be a buyable idea in a couple of years. So, we were still left with the problem of how to get around a blockade as we couldn’t expect the colonies to keep sending us resources in the event of a war.

Speaking of the colonies, they were finally getting their own section in this. They had overtaken the 20th spot of in industrial power having passed by the Argentines who were still recovering from their asswhooping in the South American War. What I didn’t understand was it was clear they were looking for round two which I thought was stupid.

As for the colonies while their industrialize output was increasing it was no where enough to support a war effort long term. Outside small arms and ordnance they would be down to cannibalizing parts of various things as they couldn’t make them locally. Even then they likely wouldn’t be able to make enough small arms or ordnance given their current production levels. I knew we needed a larger industrial base in the colonies, save for Togoland as it was truly indefensible. The problem there was how to we get enough skilled workers to work the needed machinery.

Then there was the British. They were ranked third in this. While their industrialize capacity was third behind both my empire and the United States, they still had a large freaking economy. An economy that could just solve problems by throwing money at the problem. However, they were losing ground in terms of industrialize capacity with every year that marched on. Not a lot but it was more because everyone else was building up and they had kind of plateau for the moment. Maybe if they got a fire lit under their ass, they could get that to grow again, but I wasn’t going to be the one to start that fire as I liked this too much. However, the key to them was starving them out like it always has been.

I had to tip my hat to Stolypin and what he had done with the Russian economy. If I didn’t know better, I was thinking I was looking at Soviet levels of industrialization reports in Russia. It was that impressive in terms of growth. Their problems through were still below the surface. While workers were far from happy with how they were treated but they were scared shitless of the Okhrana. No matter how unhappy they were with their current treatment no one wanted to be sent to the Siberian or Central Asian industrialization projects. Russia however was still to depended on machine tool imports. Further my intelligence services noted that even through Russia was a food exporter, there were still fairly large chunks of Russia where people were still hungry and reports of cannibalism were there. Not common by any means but they weren’t whispers either.

After Russia the final great powers were at fifth place was France, but they would neck and neck with the Italians at sixth place. They were trading fifth and sixth place every couple of years. Then Japan as the seventh-place power. After Japan through it dropped to regional powers. The highest of these was the Netherlands at 8th, the Belgians were 9th, and the Ottomans rounded out the top ten. After the Ottomans were the Polish who were going hell to leather in effort to build up their nation. Then came the Hungarians in 12th place. The more I saw of them the more I wonder what the hell was in their water. No way they should be that bad; not with the lands they had.

Resource: Strategic Minerals

There's a document published in 1947 called Strategic Minerals. It provides a very in depth look at the raw materials situation worldwide. It goes into each kind and where it's found. It's really interesting in any case. Aluminum, Iron/Steel, Moly, Nickel, Nitrogen Compounds and Uranium are of particular interest.

here's a archive.org link to it.

Strategic Minerals : Demille, John. B : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
archive.org

Table of Contents

Information
Waking Up Pt I
Waking Up Pt II
Waking Up Pt III
Waking Up Pt IV
Waking Up Pt V
Waking Up Pt VI
Waking Up Pt VII
Laying the Foundation Part I
Laying the Foundation Part II
Laying the Foundation Part III
Laying the Foundation Part IV
Laying the Foundation Part V
Laying the Foundation Part VI
Laying the Foundation Part VII
Laying the Foundation Part VIII
Laying the Foundation Part IX
Laying the Foundation Part X
Laying the Foundation Part XI
First Steps Pt I
First Steps Pt II
First Steps Pt III
First Steps Pt IV
OTL Russian Artillery Overview
First Steps Pt V
First Steps Pt VI
OTL French Artillery
Information Source Three
First Steps Pt VII
First Steps Pt IX
1888 End of the Year Update
First Steps Pt X
First Steps Pt XI
First Steps Pt XII
First Steps Pt XIII
First Steps Pt XIV
First Steps Pt XV
First Steps Pt XVI
Backroom Dealing Pt I
Backroom Dealing Pt II, 2020 Look Back
Backroom Dealing Pt III
Backroom Dealing Pt III
Backroom Dealing Pt IV
Backroom Dealing Pt V
Backroom Dealing Pt VI
Building Up Pt I, Looking Back
Building Up Pt II
Building Up Pt III
1889 End of Year Update
Building Up Pt IV
Building up Pt V
Building Up Pt VI
Building Up Pt VII
Let's Make a Deal Pt I
Let's Make a Deal Pt II
Slow Burn Pt I
Slow Burn Pt II
Slow Burn Pt III
Slow Burn Pt IV
1890 End of the Year Update
Slow Burn Pt V
Slow Burn Pt VI
Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second
Slow Burn Pt VII
Uniting the Front Part I Looking Back
Building Bridges Pt I
Building Bridges Pt II
Building Bridges Pt III
Tech Growth Part I
1891 End of the Year Update
Tech Growth Part II
Admin Stuff for the TL
Tech Growth Part III
Tech Growth Part IV
Finishing the Family
Building Alliances Pt I
Building Alliances Pt II
Everything is Political Pt I
Everything is Political Pt II
The 19 Days Pt I
The 19 Days Pt II
1892 End of Year Update
The 19 Days Pt III
The 19 Days Pt IV
The 19 Days Pt V
Reforms Pt I
Reforms Pt II
Reforms Pt III
Reforms Pt IV
The Start of the First Golden Age of Germany
1893 Constitution
Building Up Pt VIII
Formation of the Confederation of Saxony
Tech Growth Part V
Homesteading the Colonies Pt I
1893 End of Year Update
Asian Matters Pt I
Money Makes the World Go Round Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt I
Army Affairs Pt I
Colonial Build Up Pt I
Watching Pt I
Justice
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt II
Tech Growth Part VI
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt III
1894 End of Year Review
Building Up Pt VIII
Building Up Pt IX
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt IV
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt V
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VI, Look Back
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VII
Diplomatic Colonial Efforts Pt I
Tech Growth Part VII
1895 End of Year Review
Tech Growth Part VIII
Reforms Pt V
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt VIII
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt IX
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X
The Polish Question Pt I
Colonial Build Up Pt II
Its all About the Economy Pt I

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt II

Family Bio 1896
1896 End of Year Review
Sports Pt I
Fixing Problems Pt I
Fixing Problems Pt II
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X
The Ottoman Problem Pt I
Last Grasp Pt I
Aftermath Pt I
Aftermath Pt II
Aftermath Pt III
Tech Growth Part IX
Reforms Pt VI
The Viennese Waltz Pt I
1897 End of Year Update
The Boxer Rebellion Pt I
The Boxer Rebellion Pt II
To War Act I
The British Go To War Act I
Relief of the Legations Pt I
Relief of the Legations Pt II
Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt I
Second Chance Pt I
Allies? Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt X Looking Back
Relief of the Legations Pt III; Failure
Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt II
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XII
Deutsche Expeditionstruppe Pt III
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIII
Ending a War Pt I
Chinese Aftermath, Looking Back
Map of German Tsingtau
Family Time 1898
Tech Growth Part X
1898 End Year Review
Planning Pt I
Building Up Pt X
Building Up Pt X
World Tour Pt I
Colonial Build Up Pt III
World Tour Pt II
Loose Ends
Building Up Pt XI, Looking Back
1899 Year in Review
Reforms Pt VII
Wet Work Pt I
Tech Growth Part XI
Money Makes the World Go Round Pt II
Military Dilemma Pt I
Building Up Pt XII
Family Problems 1900
The Viennese Waltz Pt II
The Viennese Waltz Pt III
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIV
Anglo-German Alliance
1900 Year in Review
The Death of Queen Victoria
Recruitment Pt I
Family Matters 1901
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XV
Tech Growth Part XII
Colonial Build Up Pt IV
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVI
The Viennese Waltz Pt IV
Reasons for Celebration Pt I
1901 Year in Review
Family Matters 1902
Ending a War Pt II
Colonial Build Up Pt V
Building Up Pt XIII
Colonial Build Up Pt VI
Naval Matters Pt I
Colonial Build Up Pt VII
Putting the Band Together Pt I
Movie Night Looking Back
1902 Year in Review
Family Problems 1903
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVII
Domestic Issues Pt I

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt III

First Contact Pt I
Death of a Crown Prince
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XVIII
Naval Matters Pt II
A Game is Afoot Pt I
1903 Year in Review
What do you do with a Drunken Sailor?
Crossroads Pt I
Crossroads Pt II
Crossroads Pt III
Crossroads Pt IV
Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War Pt I
The Dogs of War Pt I
The Dogs of War Pt II
The Dogs of War Pt III
the Dogs of War Pt IV
Cloak Then Dagger Pt I
Money Makes the World Go Round Pt III
The Ottoman Problem Pt II
Crossroads Pt V
Building Bridges Pt IV
Criminal Justice Pt I
Planning Pt IV
Red Cross Pt I
The Dogs of War Pt V; Looking Back
Top Down Overview: Fall 1904
Map 1904
Si vis pacem, para bellum Pt I
Building Alliances Pt III
Teaching Moments Pt I
Cloak Then Dagger Pt II
1904 Year in Review
Colonial Warfare Pt I
Honoring Heroes Pt I
Criminal Justice Pt II
The Polish Question Pt II
Gas Pt I
Gas Pt II
Gas Pt III
Gas Pt IV
Aftermath Pt IV
Hard Choices Pt I
Gas Pt V
Regrouping Pt I
Regrouping Pt II
Regrouping Pt III
Burning it Down Pt I
Criminal Justice Pt III
The Fork in the Road Pt I
The Fork in the Road Pt II
Peace? Pt I
Going Home Pt I

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt IV

The Polish Question Pt III
Not An Update; Smitty's Thoughts
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XIX
1905 Year in Review
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XX
The Death of a Revolutionary
The Death of King Edward VII
Cloak Then Dagger Pt III
Boom Pt I
The Fall of Tsar Nicholas II
Peace? Pt II
The Crux of the Problem
Helping a Friend Out Pt I
Planning Pt V
Peace? Pt III
The Ottoman Problem Pt III
The Nest is Emptying 1906
1906 Year in Review
The Ottoman Problem Pt IV
Map of Europe at the End of WWI
Ah Shit, Here We Go Again
Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt I
Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt II
Blue Cornflowers in Bloom Pt III
Post-Vienna Treaty Map
Blue Cornflowers in Bloom, Looking Back Pt IV
Colonial Build Up Pt VIII
The Viennese Waltz Pt V
Recruitment Pt II
A Naval Arms Race? Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXI
Money Makes the World Go Round Pt IV
1907 Year in Review
Domestic Issues Pt II
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXII
Kaiser, King, and the Grand Duke?
Slow Burn Pt VIII
The New Face of France Pt I
Wedding Joy
Tech Growth Part XIII
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIII
Domestic Issues Pt III
1908 Year in Review
Cloak Then Dagger Pt IV
Sports Pt II
Tech Growth Part XIV
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIV
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXV
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVI, Looking Back
Tech Growth Part XV
Colonial Build Up Pt IX
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVII
1909 Year in Review
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXVIII
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXIX
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXX
Run Through the Jungle Pt I
Run Through the Jungle Pt II
Run Through the Jungle Pt III
Run Through the Jungle Pt IV
Run Through the Jungle Pt V
Run Through the Jungle Pt VI

To Control the Seas? Is that even Possible? Pt I

Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt I
Tech Growth Part XVI
Domestic Issues Pt IV
1910 Year in Review
Naval Matters Pt III
Inter-German Map
Tech Growth Part XVII
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXX
Perfidious Albion Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXI
Money Makes the World Go Round Pt V
Magyar Problems Pt I
Magyar Problems Pt II
Colonial Build Up Pt X
1911 Year in Review
Family Time 1912
Up in the Air Pt I

Tip toeing through the Balkans Minefields Pt I

Tech Growth Part XVIII
Sports Pt III
North Atlantic Highjinx Pt I
North Atlantic Highjinx Pt II
Reforming the Bear Pt I
A Game is Afoot Pt II
1912 Year in Review
North Atlantic Highjinx Pt III
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXII
The Ottoman Problem Pt V
Church Issues Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIII

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt V

Naval Matters Pt IV
The Ottoman Problem Pt VI
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIV
1913 Year in Review
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXV
Anti-Piracy Operations Pt I
Polish Matters Pt I
Domestic Issues Pt V
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVI
Mexican Slayride
Army Affairs Pt II
The Ottoman Problem Pt VII
1914 Year in Review
Naval Matters Pt V
British Backroom Dealing Pt I

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt VI

Family Time 1915
British Backroom Dealing Pt II
Cloak Then Dagger Pt V
1915 Year in Review
The Ottoman Problem Pt VIII
What Happens in South America Pt I
What Happens in South America Pt II

What Happens in South America Pt III Looking Back

Death of a Friend
Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt II
Release the Prisoners Pt I
Gewehr 02 Pic
1916 Year in Review
Interlude Into the Mind of a Frenchman Pt III
What Happens in South America Pt IV
The World Needs a Drink Pt I
Land of the Rising Sun Pt I
Up in the Air Pt II
1917 Year in Review
Domestic Issues Pt VI
Domestic Issues Pt VII
A Lithuanian Family Moment
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVII
Luftwaffe Founded
Colonial Build Up Pt X
1918 Year in Review
Post-Second Mexican-American War Map
Sports Pt IV

Interlude Into the Mind of Wilhelm the Second Pt VII

Interlude Into the Mind of a Future Student Pt I

Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXVIII
Domestic Issues Pt VIII
Naval Matters Pt VI
1919 Year in Review
Magyar Problems Pt III
Magyar Problems Pt IV
Magyar Fallout Pt I
Foreign Affairs Cluster Pt XXXIX
Tech Growth Part XIX
The Ottoman Problem Pt IX
Colonial Build Up Pt X
1920 Year in Review
Spy v Spy
Colonial Build up Pt XI
Europe in 1920
The Northern Lights
American Affairs Pt I
Domestic Issues Pt IX
Interlude Into the Mind of a Russian Pt I
1921 Year in Review
Money Makes the World Go Round VI
Resource: Strategic Minerals