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Thread: BoP: Europe 1914 - II

  1. #91

    CSA Captain

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    "För Sverige – i tiden"

    Sweden honours the pact and declares war

    With all of our allied nations being attacked, Sweden hears and answers the call to arms and declares war on all enemies of the German Empire.

    French Diplomats and their personell expelled
    The unacceptable events in Paris and the silent French government towards us, leave Sweden no other options but to expell the French.
    You have 12 hours to leave Sweden, otherwise we can not gurantee your safety





  2. #92

    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    Response to Ottoman Declaration
    The British military mission, adjutants, advisers, and specialists shall all immediately return to Cyprus for repatriation. Naval modernization and training efforts in the Ottoman Navy conducted by our staff shall cease. With this action and the closing of the Straits, we consider our previously agreed naval cooperation efforts to be terminated. Ships requisitioned by the Ottoman Empire shall not be transported or released into their service.

    Closures
    In response to the escalation of the new conflict, the British government moves to close certain points to German and Stockholm Agreement nations shipping.
    God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!

    - The British naval mission to the Ottoman Empire ends.
    - Anglo-Turkish naval cooperation ends.
    - The Suez Canal, Gibraltar Strait, and English Channel straits are closed to German and Stockholm Agreement nations shipping
    Last edited by Fatih; 03-19-2020 at 05:49 AM. Reason: I forgot to add this yesterday NA time

  3. #93

    "Alt for Norge"



    War!
    The Kingdom of Norway decided to answer the German call and hereby officially declares war on the following nations: The Russian Empire, The French Third Republic, Kingdom of Serbia, Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Greece, Kingdom of Montenegro and the Kingdom of Spain. As a direct consequence of this, we will give the French and Russian ambassadors 72 hours to leave the country. Til Valhall!


    Mobilization declared
    Due to the current situation in Europe, the Kingdom of Norway will issue extended mobilization effective as of now.

  4. #94

    USA General of the Army

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    Update

    The United Kingdom halts trade with Austria Hungary

    Tsar Nicolas II empowers the Duma.

    Germany mobilises!

    Italy signs non-aggression with France.

    Serbia and Greece declare war on Bulgaria!.

    France issues an ultimatum to Austria-Hungary!

    France mobilises!

    The Netherlands mobilises!

    Sweden mobilises!

    Britain guarantees the sovereignty of Greece, Serbia, Romania and Montenegro and mobilises!

    Greece and Albania sign the Corfu Treaty.

    Austria-Hungary rejects French ultimatum and instead ultimatums Serbia!

    Denmark mobilises!

    Russia issues an ultimatum to Germany!

    Serbia rejects Austrio-Hungarian ultimatum!

    Minor mutinies end in Spain.

    Germany declares war on Russia!

    The United Kingdom expels Austro-Hungarian diplomats.

    France declares war on Germany!

    Germany declares war upon the Balkan League!

    Spain declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary!

    Denmark declares war on the Balkan League and France!

    The Netherlands declares war on the Balkan League and France!

    The Ottomans expel the British and French naval missions and close the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

    The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia!

    Sweden declares war on the Balkan League and France!

    The United Kingdom recloses major trade lanes to Germany and the Stockholm Agreement.

    Norway declares war on the Balkan League and France

    Belgium and Albania declare neutrality.

    British convoy reaches St. Petersburg unharmed and unopposed.

    Italian embassies are found empty in Germany and Austria-Hungary whilst German and Austro-Hungarian embassies and consulates are raided across Italy!


    The War Escalates!

    Alliance chains was the word in all the papers. What was already a major war contained to the Balkans and open planes of Russia, now looked to escalate massively. With fighting raging on across two massive fronts, many people began to question where their nations now lay in the growing mess. The United Kingdom led the international reaction to the invasion. With the United Kingdom still embroiled in a trade war with Germany and the Stockholm agreement, it was a small surprise to some that she led the month by banning all trade with Austria-Hungary. This move, including the halting of all Austro-Hungarian flagged vessels through the Suez, has been criticized by some in the Commons as getting too involved in the events that did not concern the UK.

    As the United Kingdom made its moves, Russia was making her own.. The speed at which Russian forces were mobilising took Europe by surprise. The great bear, humbled by the Japanese pheasant not 14 years ago, clearly had no intentions of permitting her allies in the Balkans to fight without them. In an address to the people on the 2nd March, the Tsar rallied the nation to war against the aggressive Autro-Hungagrians. In his address though, Tsar Nicholas II made an announcement that swept through Russia like lighting. His announcement to empower the Duma even caught the Duma off guard. Many did not understand what he meant, how much power was his Imperial Majesty granting the Duma? Was he abdicating? Rumour and speculation when tearing through the underground political movements and printing presses of Russia. It was clear that without proper management, the Tsar has possibly lit a fire under himself without thinking. Also on the 2nd, Germany began general mobilisation. Whilst the Tsar accounded reformes, Germany moved on their commitment to their allies Austria-Hungary. Large crowds gathered in public spaces across Germany and smartly dressed officers from the Deutsches Heer and Kaiserliche Marine accounded mobilisation. The following day, Kaiser Wilhem II himself announced the issuing of a “blank cheque” to Austria-Hungary. This move alarmed Russia and France as they realised the clear implication. Germany was planning on joining the war in support of Austria-Hungary.

    In a small glimmer of hope for a prevention of escalation was the signing of a non-aggression treaty between France and Italy. On the 4th March, French delegates in Rome signed the line in a quiet wing of the Palazzo Montecitorio to little fanfare. Both parties did little to celebrate and the French delegation returned to Paris the next day. The lack of a fan fair was to be expected. France had just made an agreement with a possible foe to Russia and Italy and just made an agreement with a foe of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In their announcements to their respective nations, Charles Jonnart and Antonino Paternò Castello both strongly iterated the need to prevent needless bloodshed between Italy and France. Diplomatic protests were swift to arrive from France and Italy’s allies.

    Sadly though, Germany’s escalation was to cause a domino effect that was to plunge all but a few nations into war.On the 6th, Serbia and Greece formally declared war upon Bulgaria officially drawing Bulgaria into the “Austro-Hungarian Balkan War” following what would have a seperate war due to the attack by Russia and Romania. Despite France’s seeming attempts to de-escalate, their next move came as a shock. On the evening of the 6th, a letter was handed to Minister-President Karl von Stürgkh. Within it was contained the French ultimatum to Austria-Hungary. Europe held its breath to the reply. WIthout an expressed time limit placed upon the demand, Europe could now only hold its break as yet more nations mobilised. On the 7th through 9th, France, The Netherlands, and Sweden all mobilised. In France, there was a clear note of jubilation in the mobilisation orders. In a few cities cheering crowds gathered to see off loved ones as they answered the call clad in either blue and red or solid blue. The revanchist mood was still clearly alive. The Dutch and Swedish mobilisations though, were more somber affairs. Sweden had not been to war in just under 100 years. Their mobilisation, though well executed, was not met with cheering crowds or massive celebrations. It was met with simple hugs and kisses of goodbye to family and loved ones as men headed to their muster points.




    The Lion of the United Kingdom continued to act as the month progressed. On the 10th the “Wards of Britain'' treaty was signed into effect. In the stroke of a pen, the UK had signed itself to the Balkans’ defence. Alongside this, Britain issued its own mobilisation orders. Khaki clad men soon filled stations and cities heading to barracks, a stark contrast to the red and blue of France and stylish grey Pickelhaube Germans. From London also departed a grain covey that was making headlines. Escorted by HMS Argyll, Devonshire, Hamshire and Carnarvon the grain shipment was bound for St. Petersburg via the Baltic Sea, if this convey was interfied with, it could bring the UK into the war with a vengeance. Many questioned the need for the escort, but others knew the simple truth. With current relations between the UK, the Scanddivaian nations and Germany being at a serious low there was plausible threat to the convey Another treaty was also signed on the 10th. In Corfu, Greek and Albanians met for the first time over the Northern Epirus. In tense negotiations that had begun on the 7th, Albania finally agreed to seed Northern Epirus to Greece. The Treaty of Corfu officially integrated the breakaway territory into Greece without any bloodshed, the Albanians had realised that they stood no chance in retaining the strongly Greek territory. Swiftly following the Treaty of Corfu, France received their answer from Austria-Hungary. The reply from Vienna was clear. The French ultimatum was rejected, but not in the normal manner. The statement from Vienna was not a real rejection of the ultimatum, it was more an outright ignoral of it. Vienna instead chose to issue their own ultimatum to Serbia, demanding the surrender of the Serbia government. A laughable proposal. Now Europe waited for France’s reply to their rejection as it was clear that Serbia was to reject this most recent ultimatum.

    On the 11th, Russia responded to the mobilisation and blank cheque of Germany. Clearly irritated by Germany’s mobilisation, Russia demanded that Germany stand down and not get involved in the current war in aid of their ally. This was a steep demand and with only 24 hours given to reply, the Germans made their choice rapidly. As Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg readout the ultimatum to the Reichtag, a stern silence held the room. When it was finished, there was a long pause within the chamber as Bethmann-Hollweg picked up a second piece of paper from before him. In a steady and even tone the German reply, already cabled to St. Petersberg, was read out. Germany was declaring war on Russia. With this, events only spun further out of control and at a breathtaking pace. On the 12th the UK expelled all Austro-Hungarian diplomats from their soil as France rallied to the aid of their ally and declared war upon the German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire.. Fiery speeches across France spoke of revenge for 1871 and the reclaiming of the lost Alsace-Lorraine. As the French declaration was being received in Berlin and Vienna, Germany declared war upon the remaining signatory nations of the Balkan League. On the 12th, Spain declared war upon Germany in aid of their ally France. The minor mutines that had previously threatened to escalate had been experty quelled, though for a large sum from the nation’s coffers. Not a few hours after this declaration was sent, Denmark and the Netherlands declared war in defence of Germany. The 13th saw the expulsion of the British and French naval mission to the Ottomans as the sick man of Europe stored and mobilised. It was to no surprise that this expulsion came hand in hand with their declaration of war upon the Russian Empire. Joining this declaration was Sweden’s, as they too came to the aid of their ally Germany. When the declaration of war from Norway came on the 14th, the UK decided enough was enough. The previously lifted trade sanctions upon Germany and the Stockholm Agreement were placed in full effect once more.

    A war of this scale in Europe had not been seen since the days of Napoleon. With 15 nations within Europe now committed to this war the stage was set of an unprecedented level of bloodshed. As Belgium, Luxembourg and Albania declared their neutrally, the eyes of Europe fell upon the United Kingdom and Italy. Both nations were signatories to agreements and treaties that diplomatically pressured and obligated them to join the war on one side or another.





    Bloody Mountains
    It was to be Greece that led this month’s bloodshed. At the first lights of the 8th rolled in on the Rhodope Mountains, the Bulgarian 2-ra Armiya came under artillery fire across its whole line along the Greek and Serbian border. Men and materials were sent flying in little bits as shells struck home in their fresh defensive positions. The carnage lasted for what seemed like an eternity, but soon let up as rifle and machine gun fire came swarming up the mountain side. Though the Greeks had the element of surprise on their side, the fight ahead of them was still incredibly daunting. Leading the offensive across the Greek border was the 1o Stratós Stratoú. Composed mostly of veterans of the Balkan Wars, these men came upon the Bulgarians like furies. In their first day of fighting they tore into the enemy defenses, but to no avail. There was only so much these brave men could do against the Bulgarian light guns and machine guns that chewed through their ranks. The story was the same across the front of the Greek attack. For two weeks the Greeks hammered into the Bulgarians in an attempt to dislodge them, the Bulgarians refused to budge. On the 12th, in a brutal city battle between the Greek 1o and 5o tmíma pezikoú and Bulgarian 8-ma Diviziya, Strumica came under Greek control. As losses mounted and there was little sign of any notable gains, the offensive was soon called off. To the anger of the Greek high command, the Serbian Vojska grupa Užice that had promised to engage with them had failed to deliver. Worst still was the news to come from Romania.

    In the attempt to deliver a knockout blow to the Bulgarians, Romania had also launched an offensive in coordination with the Greeks. The Romanian Armata a 2a and Armata a 4a launched their own offensives across the North West border of Bulgaria. As the lead elements of the Armata a 2a began their attacks with limited artillery cover, it was already clear that things were not going to go well. Already sparsely equipped, some regiments were armed with single shot breech loading black powder weapons. The attack was valiant and the bravery was limitless. On the 11th, the Regimentul 2 Infanterie was able to lead a minor breakthrough following a gallant bayonet charge that resulted in almost 90% casualtie for the Regiment including all their officers. The Romanians lacked the strength to exploit the break in the Bulgarian 3ta-Armyia’s lines. As the 1-vi korpus moved into position to plug the gap, it was clear that nothing more was going to be gained in the futile attacks. The offensive resulted in minimal gains after only one week. The Romanians were stretched too thin and too ill equipped to be launching any form of offensive, and with the Austro-Hungarians pushing in from their North, the attack was noble in aid of their allies, but foolish in light of Romania’s current position.




    On the 15th, the Romanian position only got worse. The Landstreitkräfte Österreich-Ungarns launched their full force at Montenegro, Serbia and Romania From the Adriatic Sea to the Russian, field guns opened up. Accompanying this bombardment thought were a number of flying assets. K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen assets were being used as spotters in an attempt to guide artillery onto key defensive locations. In the high altitude of the Dinaric and Transylvanian Alps, they struggled. Unable to gain sufficient altitude, the planes came under attack from ground troops too regularly. A number of planes were shot down in their efforts to assist the artillery attack. All was not in vain though, Otto Jindra managed to direct a number of successful bombardements onto Romanian positions in the Translvanians that would prove crucial. The bombardments though did not last long, anywhere between 3 to 5 hours. Closely following the artillery came in Infantry assaults. In Montenegro the fighting was ferocious, bloody and slow. Austrian Gebirgsjäger fought their way into the mountains as the Vojska Crne Gore made the progress slow and bitter. Whilst some of the Montenegrins enjoyed modern rifles and uniforms, the same could not be said for much larger parts of the army. The Gebirgsjäger found themselves combatting men in uniforms that wouldn’t look out of place 100 years ago with rifles almost as old. They swiftly learnt though that these funny dressed men were nothing to be scoffed at. The price paid for the ground gained was a steep one. With the capital of Cetinje in touching distance, the offensive was halted. The Austrians were simply unable to dislodge their foes from the mountains. Montenegrin machine guns or light field guns would sometimes hide in caves and hard to reach places for the leading Gebirgsjäger and normal Jäger to pass by before attacking the more densely packed formations that followed. In Serbia too minimal progress was made and extreme losses taken. The Austro-Hungarians had kicked the hornets nest with their invasion and no amount of artillery or use of the bayonet was going to make them leave their positions willingly. IX Armeekorps took a mauling in their attempts to dislodge the Šumadija divizija I ban. Though outnumbered, the Serbs stood firm under the initial assault launched by the Austro-Hungarians. After two weeks though, the Serbians were finally purswayed to fall back from lack of ammunition. The last assault by IX Korps was repelled through the literal use of sticks and stones by the Serbians. Along the line the tale was almost the same. With Serbian field pieces already in positions, it was extremely difficult for the attacking Austro-Hungarians to bring their guns forwards through the difficult mountain passes.

    It was in Romania though, success was to be found in the Balkans. Though gains had been made in Serbia and Montenegro, the losses were almost too much to comprehend. In Moldova, XVIII and XIX Armeekorps swept Southwards with near impunity. With a massive amount of Romanian forces committed to the offensive against Bulgaria the balance in manpower and tipped dramatically into the invader’s favour. As the Austro-Hungarian Armeekorps smashed into the beleaguered Armata 1 were unable to stand. Bacău fell on the 18th, with the Regimentul 5 Călărași fighting a gallant rear guard action to permit the local forces to escape. They were left with almost no ammunition and had suffered horrific losses, but had also inflicted equal if not greater losses in their valliant stand. Even the Austro-Hungarian XVI and XV Armeekorps who had no orders to attack found a chance to break into the Transylvanian Alps. At the outskirts of Focșani the momentum of the assault finally petered out. Whilst the Russians had come to the aid of Romania in the previous attack by Austria-Hungary, they failed to act this time. The situation was looking extremely grim for Romania as the month rolled to a close. As the month closed both sides began to tally their losses. Austro-Hungarian losses stood at 57,000, Romanian 29,000, Serbian 18,000, Montenegrin 12,000, Bulgarian 9,000, and Greek 12,000.



    Dragă Ana,

    Îți scriu cu un dor și o durere nespusă în suflet... Astăzi am avut de înfruntat întreaga oaste Austro-Ungară, aici, la Bacău. Cu ajutorul Maicii Sfânte, am reușit să scap doar cu răni ușoare la braț, iar restul batalionului a biruit să se retragă din timp. Austro-Ungarii ne-au luat prin surprindere, dar i-am întâmpinat cu toată mânia și voința noastră de a apăra sfântul nostru pământ românesc. Lupta era crâncenă, s-a lăsat cu multe jertfe pe partea noastră, însă nu i-am lăsat să scape ușor. Sergentul menționase cum că invadatorii au pierdut mult mai mulți flăcăi decât noi... Sper doar să scap cât mai repede din acest infern și să te pot revedea în curănd.

    Cu întreaga mea iubire, al tău Ion





    The Guard Stands

    The declaration of war by Germany had opened a new front to this war. What had been contained to the Balkans and some of Russia now spread out across a front that went from the Batlic to the Black sea. The German invasion on the 12th, was swift and brilliantly executed, but the Germans made a vital error in judgement. As the first forces of the German 9.,12. And 13. Armee launched their offensives,they ran headlong in the leading elements of the Russian Armeyskiy Gruppovoy Tsentr’s 2-ya Armiya. In this formation were the veteran 1-y Gvardeyskiy Korpus and 2-y Armeyskiy Korpus, two extremely well equipped and trained Corps that now stood in the line of advance into the russian held region of southern Lithuania. Russian Maxim spewed lead upon the dense German lines that advanced upon them with field guns also coughing their presents upon the Germans. The Germans had a nightmare of a time trying to dislodge the Russians before them initially. However, Russia’s own size soon begun to work against them, as ammunition for the field artillery swiftly dried up and machine gun belts ran out it was obvious that the Russians couldn’t hold their positions, whilst the rest of the army begun a bitter fighting retreat the 1-y Gvaedeyskiy Korpus stood their ground and fought. With rifle, bayonet, knife and nails they stood and fought to protect the 2-ya Armiya’s ordered retreat. The lone Korpus utterly blunted the advance into Lithuania and a bloody price.

    Though the attack into Lithuania had had limited success, the joint offensive into Russian Królestwo Polskie by Germany and Austria-Hungary had far greater success. 6 full German armies and 2 Austro-Hungarian Army Corps swept into the ill prepared remains of the 1-ya Armiya.. Unlike the seasoned forces in Russian Lithuania, the 3-ya and 4-ya Armiya did not have such experience. Attacked on all sides, the Russians could only fall back in the face of overwhelming numbers and superior fire power. In the south the Austrian XXXI and XXXII Armeekorps swept in cutting the Russians in front of them down like a hot knife through butter. The Germans too smashed through the Russians in front of them. The Russians simply could not maintain a coherent defensive and fell back when pressured. Without sufficient supplies and struggling to hold back the superior numbers of the invaders, Russian Cavalry and Cossacks took to fighting incredible rearguard actions across the whole front. Cossacks would slip through the German lines and strike supply and artillery trains delaying the advance whilst regular cavalry divisions would set themselves up in key defensive locations the fight day long delaying actions before slipping away in the night. Things had not opened well for the Russians, but all was not lost as the month closed out. Though Lodz fell on the 21st without too much bloodshed, Russia showed that they intend to use their vast lands to refuse a decicite action that could result in destruction. The month ended with 21,000 German casualties, 8,000 Austro-Hungarians and 61,000 Russians.






    Reality Strikes

    The entry of Sweden, Denmark and Norway into the war was something to be expected. As signatories of the Stockholm agreement their alliance to Germany had to be honoured and now they had done so. The last war that Sweden and Norway had fought was almost 100 year ago and had been against each other. Now they were to fight side by side. Denmark’s last war had been far more recent, but had been against the Germans. Now they too found themselves fighting on the same side as previous foes. On the 18th March, the three nations instigated a coordinated offensive into Russia. It was a bloodbath. The Swedish and Norwegians were massively out of their depths in this modern war and moved across the border in tight formations, some units with colours flying. Despite warnings from their Danish allies 12 full armies from the combined nations cross the border into the jaws of the awaiting 1-y Armiya and 1-y Sibirskiy Armeyskiy Korpus, veterans of the Russo-Japanese war. These men had faced the human waves of Japan and now were facing what was to them a walking target practice. The Russians hardly needed to raise a finger to break the offensive sent against them. The Swedish and attached Danish could hardly step across the border without being cut down. Whilst munitions shortages in the southern were as a result of desperate defensive engagements, ammunition in the north hardly had to be wasted when a single well placed shell could break a full formation in one go. The tenacity of the Scandivanians thought was to be credited. The Swedish refused to yield to the onslaught being rained upon them. They launched no less than 10 bayonet charges in their attempts to break the Russians, all of which were repulsed with massive losses before they could reach the Russian lines. The Swedish and Dansih both suffered disgusting losses in theri assault, with two Danish Regiment and a Swedish Regiment being wiped from the records after recording 100% casualties. Only the Norwegians managed to escape near annihilation as a result of a more cautious offensive. After getting their first bloody nose they hated and shelled the Russians before attacking again. Though this attack on the 21st was thrown off as well, it had been a rude shock to the Siberians to have been fired back upon. Swedish tricorn hats quickly became prized pieces for “souvenir” hunts, who could not believe the archaic nature of the uniform. In all the Swedish lost 61,000 men, the Danish 34,000, Norwegians 20,000, and Russians 7,000.




    New Toys Old Ideas
    Whilst Germany was on the offensive in the East, they were on the defensive in the West. The French, aiming to take pressure off Russia, launched a successful offensive into the lost region of Elsaß-Lothringen. French guns bellowed their deep roars on the 14th as the first Regiments of the IIIe, IVe, and Ve Armées attacked with their full force into the German 3., 4., and 6. Armees. As the Bavarians and Wurttemberg troops engaged, something seemed off. The men before them were clad in full blue as opposed to blue and red. The volume of fire was as if they were facing hundreds of machine guns in a concentrated area. The Germans were out gunned, badly though reports suggested that both sides had equal men committed to the fight. The 6. Armee began to buckle under the pressure. After 6 days, the fall back order was given by Generaloberst Rupprecht and the Bavanrians began to give ground. Day by day the French carried on the pressure, driving the Germans back inch by inch. The momentum was lost as the IVe Armée reached Feste Kaiser Wilhelm II. This lone fort stood in the way of the French advance and was swiftly put to seige. The garrisoned Grenadier-Regiment “King Frederick Wilhelm II” No.10 was not prepared for the sudden arrival of the French at their gates and suffered heavy losses attempting to aid the Bavarians that left them behind If the fort fell, Strasbourg became vulnerable. Both sides knew this all too well. The 6. Armee made two attempts to break the siege on the 25th and 28th, but once again were driven back by heavy rifle fire and close artillery support, a tactic learnt from the Franco-Prussian war.


    Vor fünf Tagen haben die Franzosen angegriffen und fünf Tage hält der Beschuss nun schon an. Die Feste hält der feindlichen Artillerie stand, die Schäden sind gering. Am ersten Tag erlitten wir schwere Verluste, seit wir uns aber in die Tunnels zurückgezogen haben fehlt es uns nur an Schlaf, das Kanonengedonner muß gewiss bis nach Straßburg zu hören sein. Unsere schwere Artillerie feuert zurück, der Feind greift aber nicht direkt an und ich bin zuversichtlich, dass unser Heer die Franzosen bald zurückschlagen wird. Im Moment sitzen wir aber, geplagt von Langeweile und Schlaflosigkeit in der Festung fest. Gott mit uns.


    The offensives by the Ve Armée though, did not meet with the same level of success. Whilst the IVe’s Général d'armée Fernand de Langle de Cary had successfully managed to utilise new ideas, uniforms and equipment, the same could not be said for this counter parts in the IIIe and Ve. The French attacks were led by officers on horse and closely packed ranks of blue and red clad men with bayonets affixed. Whilst Chasseur officers begged their Infantry counterparts to follow the plan, but the head strong men were hearing none of it. Seeing only glory and revenge the French 21e corps d'armée were the first to hit the lines of the German XI. Armeekorps south of Metz. Like the Russians in Scandinavia, the Germans could not believe what they were facing. German batteries blew chunks out of the French formations as they advanced and German machines put the Cavalry to flight. After several days of the same attempted assaults by different Corps, it became too much. The 221e Regiment d'Infanterie broke in the assault on the 26th and fled. Their flight and fear began to spread through the Ve Armée. Full Divisions turned and fled before the onslaught of the Germans. It was only through the biblical efforts of the Chasseurs were the French saved from disaster. Screening the French route, they were able to prevent the German Cavalry from sweeping the Ve off the field and stem the tide. One young officer, Camille Bedin, distinguished himself in rallying men from routing units to form an ad hoc rear guard for several fleeing regiments. His actions were credited in saving his unit from annihilation from the chasing Ulhans. The resulting route was an utter embarrassment to France, and only the succes in the south saved the reputation of the Army. The French suffered 87,000 losses and the Germans 54,000.






    Undersea Threat.

    The war on land was not the only thing that escalated this month. As more nations joined the war, their fleets started to come into action. Since the surprise attack on Bulgaria’s navy, many nations had begun to put vast resources into their coastal defenses. Russia was one of these nations. In tandem with the declaration of war on Russia, the Kaiserliche Marine put to sea. As they made for the Gulf of Riga through a thin sea fog they steamed head first into the Russian Cruisers Admiral Makarov and Oleg. Only five kilometers away, the fog had concealed their presence from the Germans. When the Russians realised what they had run into, they turned to flee. Too slow though, the guns of the SMS Nassau and Posen both fired upon her without hesitation. One of the 11 inch shells of the Nassau stuck cleanly into Admiral Makarov’s side and detonated. The Russian Cruiser was blown to pieces, the shell having succeeded in striking the main magazine. The Oleg though was about to slip away into the fog. The first true naval engagement of the war had gone in Germany’s favour, but the Oleg slipping away was to be extremely costly. The alarm was raised on the presence of the German fleet in the Baltic. Russia’s fleet now had the upper hand, but were still at risk. The German Fleet though suddenly found itself blocked by something they had not counted on, mines. The Russians had mined the waters around their harbours to an extent that was unprecedented. The German Fleet learnt this the hard way when the SMS Prinz Heinrich struck a mine close to the Estonian coast and was sunk. Only the German Submarines saw luck in the Batlic with the Poltava stuck and crippled on the 28th.

    In the North Sea, French Submarines began a campaign against the sea lanes around Norway. 7 merchant vessels were sunk before the month was out, all within the rules of engagement set forth in London. Hunt all they might, the Norwegians simply could not find the French Submarines stalking their waters. The Dutch also faced a harsh entry to the war as the French Navy put them to seige. On the 17th, French Dreadnaughts courbet and Jean Bart opened fire on coast defenses along the southern dutch coast. Well out of range, they probed for a few hours before retiring back into the Channel. Fully aware of the speed at which the German High Sea Fleet could respond, the French Naval Command was unwilling to put itself into a position where they might be pinned by the Germans and Dutch. Instead they played it cautiously, lurking in the Channel daring the Germans to give chase. German Submarine did just that. The Liberté was hit and sunk on the 22nd by two German torpedos just off the coast of Normandy. The French reply to this though was instant. Seven German submarines were sunk in reply by French fire between the 22nd and 31st. With all side itching for a fight, but unwilling to risk the loss of some of their finest ships, Submarines were looking to be the front line in the war at sea.





    False Flags

    The British Convey reached St. Petersburg in the evening of the 18th. In their 8 day trip, they had somehow managed to avoid detection and slip past Copenhagen unopposed. This was a massive embarrassment to the Germans and Danish who had clearly planned on preventing the convoy from reaching the Russians. A loose tongue on one of the merchant ships gave the game up to the Russian press though. The Convey had broken up and sailed into the Baltic one at a time, under different names and different neutral nations flags. Even the Warships had managed to pass themselves off as anything but British. This trickery was a move that would surely leave the Germans red in the face and the Danish sick with embarrassment.

    A different event gripped Europe though and sent shockwaves across two alliance chains. In Rome, the embassies of Germany and Austria-Hungary were stormed by the Italian Army on the 31st. All the staff were arrested and documents sized. This was clearly something that had been planned the rehearsed as the soldiers moved through each embassy methodically, searching every corner to prevent anyone escaping or any documents being destroyed. The alarm was still raised in Berlin though. As German diplomats banned on the door the demand and answer, they received no reply. Eventually, they kicked in the door only to find an empty building. When Vienna was notified of events by Berlin, they too found the Italian embassy empty. Italy had shown their hand.




    Last edited by Bravescot; 04-05-2020 at 08:26 PM.

  5. #95

    USA Brigadier General

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    863

    KoI - April Post #1


    "Foedere et Religione Tenemur"

    The Kingdom of Italy withdraws from the Triple Alliance
    The current affairs and direction of the state of Europe have led the King to declare that we will not be supporting the Triple Alliance, nor the greater Central Powers with the current ongoing war. The King does not see the assassination of a military leader in a former rival nation as his primary concern, nor does it concern the Italian Citizen to fight for a cause foreign to what truly matters to the greater idea of Unifying the Italian peoples of Europe under one flag.

    Guarantee of Albanian Neutrality and Independance
    The Albanian People have taken the path of Neutrality and the Kingdom of Italy will uphold their Neutral status no matter what occurs. It should be warned that any warring nation who attempts to breach Albanian Neutrality by any means will see themselves an enemy to the Kingdom of Italy. This includes sending troops through the Albanian border or outright declaring war upon the Neutral nation.

    Partial Mobilization
    Though Neutrality has been declared, The King cannot guarantee the strength of the current standing army to be able to protect our borders from all threats. Partial Mobilization is to be enacted.

    Recalling diplomats from Warzones
    The safety cannot be guaranteed within nations that are heavily occupied, and as such to protect the people of the nation, the King has ordered the Following Diplomats and Delegates to Vacate the consulates and Embassies of these nations: Romania, Montenegro, and Serbia. As the war develops and the lives of our citizens become increasingly endangered more will be called back to the home country. Should the situation in these countries shift and safety looks achievable,
    Italian Diplomats will return to the listed countries. It should be noted assaulting or preventing these diplomats' leave of the country, or harassing them as the occupied borders between engaged armies, will see the might of the Kingdom of Italy come bearing down upon them. All nations who are currently affected by this policy are free to recall their diplomats if they see fit, and the King will seek no action against it and will guarantee safe passage by land or sea to the home ports of these nations.



  6. #96

    "Съ нами Богъ!"

    The Tsar adresses the Russian people
    "My fellow Russians, I speak to you in troubling times. There is no way to sugarcoat it, the Russian Empire needs YOUR help.
    The Russian Empire, the Russian People, the entire Russian way of life, is currently under attack from 8 Nations and their respective Armies.
    We all mourn the losses of our fallen Russian brethren, but we shall also respect and honor the bravery of the 1-y Gvardeyskiy Korpus and 2-y Armeyskiy Korpus. They stood, against overwhelming odds, against a foreign force destined to grab und subdue Russian soil and the people living on it.

    No Russian shall die in vain. I truly believe that in the most troubling times, the Russian and Slavic People shall show their valor! Therefore I call upon the Russian People to aid their state and
    DECLARE FULL MOBILISATION.

    I want to make it clear that this will not be an easy war. This will not be a short war. But it is a necessary war. And the Russian Empire shall not just roll over, but instead rise up to the challenge and fence off any who oppose us to ensure !

    Last Month I made it public that I will personally oversee a reform that shall aid the Russian People. I therefore declare that from now on,

    - The Duma will consist of Parties, that will be voted for every 4 Years, the first Election will happen in 3 Months. Every Man gets the same Vote.
    - The Duma will have the Power to vote for new Laws and abolish old ones.
    - I, the Tsar, will have the Power to Veto laws, but promise to use my god given right only if it benefits the Russian Empire as a whole.
    - Every Russian Citizen shall be the same in the eyes of the Law.
    - Capital Punishment shall be abolished and be replaced with Exile in Siberia
    - From now, Workers are only allowed to work a maximum of 10 hours a day 60 hours a week.


    These Changes shall aid the Russian People in the dire times. I, the Tsar Promise to also bring multiple economical Programs on the way after the War, to further help Russian and Slavic People in need.

    For now, there are more important matters on the horizon. I trust in the Russian and Slavic People. I trust in our ability to throw the Prussian Invaders out of our Homeland once more. Съ нами Богъ!"


    Russia denies Austrian Peace Offer!
    The Tsar viciously denied an Austrian Peace Offer send to him per Telegram. In it, the Austrians offered Romanian Provinces, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and The British Dominion of India to the Tsar for Peace. Since most of these Lands belong to our allies, the Austrians have no way of actually ensuring these Lands to the Russian Empire. The Russians aren't treacherous people, we do not leave our Allies alone in this World.

    Austria hungary can provide guarantees and offer you tibet, nepal, bhutan and indeed a chance at claiming india should the russians desire.


    Last edited by Cazasar; 04-08-2020 at 10:28 PM. Reason: New Developments

  7. #97

    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    The North Sea Declaration
    In response to the escalating war on the high seas, the British government will officially enforce and abide by the North Sea Declaration.



    - The North Sea is officially classified and will subsequently be treated as an active hostile warzone. Merchant and civilian vessels travelling in the North Sea do so at their own risk.
    - British commerce is hereby ordered to avoid passage through the North Sea. International and neutral shipping is hereby recommended to avoid the North Sea.
    - The British Navy shall not sortie to the rescue of damaged or sinking vessels of any nation nor venture out to rescue foreign sailors.
    - Entry into the North Sea is restricted by way of: Strait of Dover, British Territorial Waters, and the Restricted Zone. Vessels that still attempt to enter the North Sea by these restricted areas will be turned away and allowed to change course. Vessels that continue course may be stopped, forcibly relocated, or seized.
    - In Conjunction with the Restricted Zone, the Unrestricted Zone will be opened for all shipping to enter the North Sea through.
    - The British Navy shall have no presence in the Unrestricted Zone.

    The Restricted Zone
    - A Restricted Zone is created: this zone is off limits to non-British vessels. Passage into and through the Restricted Zone is restricted.
    - Vessels that are currently in the restricted zone will be allowed to turn around, change course, or leave the zone promptly.
    - Foreign merchant vessels that attempt to enter the Restricted Zone will be turned back. Vessels that continue to travel into or through the Restricted Zone will be seized.
    - The British Navy has the right to stop and inspect any foreign ship that enters the Restricted Zone.
    - Foreign military vessels found in the Restricted Zone will be fired upon.
    - Foreign vessels travelling in the Restricted Zone carrying contraband will be immediately seized.
    - Foreign vessels that sail far into British Territorial Waters will be seized.

    Exemption
    - Merchant ships of the Kingdom of Belgium are exempt only from the restrictions of movement through the Restricted Zone and Dover Strait.





    The Austrian Incident
    The Austrian Empire (and their Catholic Magyars) have repeatedly assured this administration of their wishes for peace and possible cordial relations. At the same time, news has reached Parliament of Austrian promises to the Russians of influence in our domain in return for a favorable peace agreement. This is an absolute outrage and a response will be formulated at once.
    God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!

    - The North Sea Declaration goes into effect.
    - The United Kingdom vows to respond to the Austrian Incident.

  8. #98

    "Esta é a Ditosa Pátria Minha Amada"

    Portugal Issues Partial Mobilization

    As the situation in Europe evolves the government of Portugal feels it is necessary to prepare our nation to defend itself and its allies. As such a mobilization order will go into effect raising our reserves as well as pulling both men and supplies from the colonies to defend our homeland.


    The Portuguese Navy Blocks German and Austrian Shipping

    The Portuguese government, in response to the hostile acts The German and Austrian-Hungarian Empires have committed against our allies have passed an order blocking all German and Austrian shipping through the Strait of Gibraltar. All non-Portuguese ships are subject to inspection when passing through the strait. The government of Portugal is monitoring the situation in Europe closely and will be prepared to pass other acts such as these in the interest of peace.


    -Portugal Issues Partial Mobilization.

    -Strait of Gibraltar blocked for all German/Austrian vessels by Portuguese Navy.

  9. #99

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    April #1


    "Min Gud, mit land, min ære"


    Outcry on Italian policy


    The Danish Government is in complete disbelief following the rash behavior by the Kingdom of Italy with its actions against its former allies. The Kingdom of Italy has abandoned her longtime allies and unlawfully raided embassies and consulates, stealing documents pertaining to those nations. The Kingdom of Denmark is disgusted by the actions of the Italians, and highly suggest they should apologize to Germany and Austria-Hungary, return any and all classified documents, and pay reparations for the damages they caused.


    Remembering the Fallen


    With the loss of many brave and young Danish soldiers following the opening of hostilities with the Russian Empire and Entente Powers. Christian X himself and his family have decided to help remember and honor the fallen who gave their lives for the fatherland. They have taken on the momentous task of visiting and mourning with every family who has suffered under the loss of a loved one in the war. Providing each family with a wreath that they can remember their lost family members by.

  10. #100

    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    "Kitchener's Volunteers"
    In response to the escalating war, Field Marshall Lord Kitchener has been appointed as Secretary of State for War. As his first act, Lord Kitchener has issued a call for 100,000 Volunteers to come to the defense of the Empire. Furthermore, an ultra light ration scheme will be implemented to ensure adequate supplies for the new formations of military fighting men for months to come.



    The Irish Commission
    In this time of strife and chaos, stability and unity will be necessary for the preservation of the Empire. The "Irish Question", regarding the rights of the Irish in the Empire and their status, has been simmering for some years and it can no longer be ignored. That is why this administration has issued the formation of the Irish Commission, who's primary goal is to explore all possible avenues and solutions to the question of Irish autonomy, home rule, dominion status, devolved powers, and political rights. An adequate answer must be formulated by the end of this year, 1914, and will be expeditiously adopted afterward for the preservation of the United Kingdom and the Empire.

    The United Kingdom declares War on the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires
    The British Empire has always stood for peace and stability in Europe. We've tried countless times to defuse tensions and countless times to stop this new European war. Now, after revealing themselves to be treacherous war-mongering aggressors, it is high time that Germanic ambitions are halted and these Teutonic instigators be cut down to size. We immediately declare there to exist a state of war between the British Empire and the Empires of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

    Let it be known, from this day forward, that the King and his subjects stand together with the Russians, the French, and the Spanish. We promise to aid the Balkan nations in this terrible hour and that we will not falter until Germanic aggression is checked and the independence of the Balkans secured. We Call upon the Republic of Portugal, our trusted ally of many centuries, and all of our dominions and subjects to come to the aid of the mother island.


    "No Separate Peace!"
    With our entry to this war, we also pledge to go through with this war until the very last moment and shall stand with out allies until victory is assured. The British Empire, in conjunction with her allies, signs this new agreement of No Separate Peace!


    The following declaration has this morning been signed at the Foreign Office at London: -- "The undersigned duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments hereby declare as follows: --

    "The British, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Serbian, and Russian Governments mutually engage not to conclude peace separately during the present war. The six Governments agree that when terms of peace come to be discussed, no one of the Allies will demand terms of peace without the previous agreement of each of the other Allies."


    God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!

    - The United Kingdom calls for volunteers
    - The United Kingdom creates the Irish Commission
    - The United Kingdom declares war on the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires
    - The United Kingdom calls on her ally Portugal and her dominions
    - The United Kingdom announces the No Separate Peace agreement

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