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Thread: BoP: Europe 1914 - II

  1. #51

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    Denmark Feb. post #2


    "Min Gud, mit land, min ære"


    Embargo on Britain


    As stated by the German Empire, the Kingdom of Norway, and the Kingdom of Sweden, the Kingdom of Denmark will also be participating in an embargo against the British Empire. It is in the opinion of the Danish government that Britain has acted rashly and inconsiderately towards the Kingdom of Norway for an incident that does not reflect the views and aspirations of the nation. Including bullying the Kingdom of Sweden, and falsely accusing the Austro- Hungarian Empire of mobilizing an army. Britain has attacked many of Denmark’s unconditional friends and allies; as such, it has no other choice but to close all Danish goods off from British markets.

  2. #52

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    United Kingdom - February #2


    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    Punitive Trade Sanctions and Embargoes:
    In response to the current aggression shown by the German Empire, and it's forced so called allies, the United Kingdom has seen fit to issue an embargo of all trade and trade lanes (including but not limited to, the Gibraltar Straights, the Suez Canal, the English channel, etc.) Making it illegal to trade with any commonwealth nation as well. The hyper-aggression shown by Germany and for some reason, recently, the Scandinavians, only proves their hostility and shows their true colors. Therefore it is the decision of the British Parliament to issue this punitive action in an effort to halt these nations in their plots against the free nations of Europe.

    Award for Service:
    If the Norwegian spies were allowed to return to Norway with secrets they stole, war plans made by the hostile elements of the Central Powers would progress much faster, and many lives would be at risk. Therefore, in protecting the United Kingdom, and the Dominion as a whole, General Sir James Birch is hereby awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and a payment of 3 months pay. The stalwart defenders of the British Isles are ever watchful of treachery in our midst, and the good General has, through his distinguished career, proven the British are a strong people.

  3. #53

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    "Ik zal handhaven"

    Embargo on The UK.

    In solidarity with our Nordic brothers, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and all its colonies have declared a complete embargo on trade with the UK and its colonies. The Netherlands ' national waters will also be closed to commonwealth shipping. Any commonwealth vessel found trespassing in Dutch national waters will be seized. The embargo will go into effect on March 1.

    The UK's continued aggression towards the Stockholm Pact in unacceptable and childlike. Frankly, the Netherlands finds this tale of "Norwegian" spies drugging British officers in broad daylight to be highly spurious. We find it more likely that this is a fabrication so that Parliament has an excuse to take aggressive action against the Stockholm Agreement. Who despite all the UK's pitiful attempts at acting mighty and all-powerful they clearly fear will overshadow their outdated nation and their backwater, rebellious colonies.


    The Luchtvaartafdeeling and Spyker.

    The Dutch Army Air Division has been for a year now furthering the Netherlands expertise and knowledge in aerial warfare. Their early exercises and recent developments in the other European militaries have proven to the Dutch High Command beyond doubt that the newest battleground is in the air, and that the Netherlands cannot be left behind in this most crucial sector. Thusly the Netherlands has decided to begin expanding the Dutch Air Division. In a happy coincidence, the highly-praised and cutting-edge Dutch automobile company Spyker has recently begun producing aircraft. The army has already sent in an order to replace it's current planes from the company. Aswell as building new bases for them to operate from.

    Pvt. William J. Sadowski

  4. #54

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    Minor Update

    Mass strikes and protestest in the UK force Liberal Government to call snap election. Conservitives win in a landsilde.


    New Goverment

    The UK has faced massive turmoil since the removal of of Prime Minister Asquith. It seems though that the new Prime Minister, Llyod-George, has done little to placate the rising mood. This the tension high following the capture of Norweigan spies, the Prime Minister thought himself in a possition to threaten the Stockholm agreement. He was wrong. The issuing of embargos on the UK by the members of the Stockholm agreement, and by Germany in general who many industries had close trade ties with, sparked wide spread cries of anguish. Strikes broke out across the nation bringing the nation to a grinding halt. It was clear that the Liberal Party was not going to be able to end the situation and a snap election was called in a rush. Though the election was done in a massive reduced and rushed manner, with no overseas votes being counted, the Conservatives won by a country mile. Leader of the Opposition however, The Right Honourable Bonar Law, did not step up to the post of Prime Minister, taking the post of Home Secritary. Instead, Arthur Balfour, who served as Prime Minister from 12 July 1902 – 4 December 1905, took office again.

    In his speak to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Balfour stated: "It's become clear that the previous leadership has lost the confidence of the people and the public mandate. It has become self evident that stable, tested, Conservative leadership is what is necessary for the preservation of the Empire and her subjects. This Conservative cabinet vows to guide the Empire steady in this time of chaos, confusion, and strife. God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!"

    Last edited by Bravescot; 03-11-2020 at 06:44 PM.

  5. #55

    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    Stability and the Empire
    With the new elections, a new Conservative leadership has come to the helm of the ship that is the British Empire. The new government recognizes that the previous Liberal administration, due in part to its sporadic and seemingly irrational policies, has created a great deal of confusion and chaos. As a first step towards a return to some semblance of normalcy, Prime Minister Balfour officially announces the administration's intention and willingness to negotiate with the German Empire and the Nordic nations for the reduction of tension and economic chaos. As a clear symbol of the new administration's intent for stability, this administration revokes the previous punitive measure of closing British controlled sea ways. While we do control these key geographic locations, it is in the interest of all Europe that sea lanes remain open to all. We hope that this proves to be the first of many steps towards a new era of stability and peace in Europe and the Empire. We expressly declare that our diplomats are ready and willing to meet at the negotiating table.

    The new administration also would like to revoke the protest made towards the Kingdom of Italy. The sovereignty of nations must be respected. We officially issue a diplomatic apology to the Kingdom of Italy and the Balkan League for the improper conduct of the previous Foreign Minister.


    God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!

    - The United Kingdom reopens the Suez Canal, Gibraltar Straits, and the English Channel to all foreign shipping.
    - The United Kingdom formally apologizes to the Kingdom of Italy for the previous Foreign Minister's incompetence.
    Last edited by Fatih; 03-07-2020 at 09:07 AM.

  6. #56

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    "Ἐλευθερία ἢ Θάνατος"

    International Stability

    The Greek government welcomes the new elections in the UK with great pleasure, as the recent instabilities in trade around Europe have somewhat worried the Greek govenment of an economic recession. The reopening of the Suez Canal & Gibraltar Straits have given Greece hope for the new British governments strides towards peace and economic progression!

    However when it comes to Germany having allied itself with the Balkan nations archnemesis the Ottoman Empire, we believe that this is a stride by Germany to cause instability in our region! Therefor we issue strong diplomatic protests towards this alliance and urge Germany to reconsider this decision!


    Last edited by Furrnox; 03-08-2020 at 02:37 PM.

  7. #57


    "Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter"

    Diplomatic Insult from Britain
    The Austro-Hungarian Government has found itself to be the target of many slanderous accusations at the hands of the entente. The latest in these barrages of fallacies is the absurd insult by British dignitaries that we have mobilised our army. We demand an apology for such damaging lies considering that the British government has already begun apologising to other nations that they have wronged. It is unacceptable that we should have to continue in ignoring these repeated offences made by the entente but this simply will not stand. As was said before we demand a formal apology from the British government for their grossly inaccurate and grievous lie. We however do both appreciate and commend the British Conservative government for accepting some accountability and making moves towards repairing relations. This step in its quest for reparations however cannot be ignored as we have found ourselves (once again) at the subject of false accusations.

    Balkan League
    As many of the ethnicities of our empire belong to that blood-stained region known as the Balkans, we felt it appropriate to request a place in talks between Balkan nations as Emperor Franz Joseph including his government see themselves as protectors of said people. The Emperor is greatly loved in the empire and as such a peaceful resolution between the empire and the Balkan nations was at the forefront of his mind. In short this was not merely a matter of territorial claims or reasserting dominance but a matter of representation. However the Austrian request found itself ignored and should be seen as an affront to those "minorities" the Balkan League allegedly tries to protect. Austro-Hungarian attempts at reaching a peaceful resolution have fizzled out due to constant rejection by countries backed by militaristic sentiments. Greece after ignoring our request for representation (which would have gone far in the progression of European stability) now accuses the Germans at a diplomatic move reactionary to the Greek alliance building. None of the members of the Balkan league protested when Britain interfered with Balkan politics which clearly antagonised us yet they point the finger at Germany. What can be seen is a blatant act of hypocrisy. Germany's alliance with the Ottoman Empire if anything serves as a counterweight to the Balkan league who have on many occasions antagonised us.

    Alliance with Bulgaria
    Bulgaria is another nation that has found itself isolated from talks concerning the Balkans despite herself being a Balkan nation. Perhaps the Balkan League aims to exact revenge on Bulgaria by engaging in power-politics. It would explain the repeated offences made towards our efforts at trying to promote a stable and peaceful region. Regardless of this we are happy to announce this diplomatic triumph as not all Balkan nations are geared towards antagonising Major powers. We pray that this alliance will promote stability in the region as previous attempts at securing a positive relationship have fallen on deaf ears. Unlike warmongering Serbia Bulgaria has both listened and responded.



    Condemnation of France
    It is insulting and intolerable that embassies of nations are at risk due to the incompetence of French police forces who by some accounts may not be entirely incompetent but instead welcome such violent protest. If France cannot guarantee the professionalism or maintain a high standard of policing then it puts the validity of the arrest of a German birdwatcher into question. Indeed the French government is more concerned with the arresting and detaining of naturalists as opposed to the arrests of those causing serious harm to ambassadors. It is outrageous that representatives of entire countries are forced to enter and leave via back entrances like common servants or undesirables. Is it not shameful that foreign dignitaries are treated this way? The scenes described in France are akin to that of a lunatic's ravings, members of the Austrian cabinet burst into laughter at the off hand comment on France's next order of business in their police force being "to arrest pigeons engaging in suspicious behaviour such as eating German bread...". Suffice to say that the department was left with both amusement and bewilderment in equal measure.

    Military and Navy, The Archduke of Austria-Este
    The proposed plans for Austro-Hungarian, German and Romanian military exercises were left unscheduled and thus cancelled after the diplomatic turmoil that took place during this month. The High Command however is pleased with the progress and aptitude the newly integrated units (specialised for peacekeeping and urban warfare) are showing during their own training and re-designation. This is to say that our troops' ability to deal with warfare in cities is going smoothly with mock up buildings being used to train with. Next in the news are the new additions to the Austro-Hungarian fleet. SMS Prinz Eugen being launched in 1912 will be commissioned sometime this year and begin its hopefully long service in our navy. It is sure to be a fine addition to our already existing dreadnoughts with a compliment of 12 12 inch guns. His Imperial and Royal Highness The Archduke of Austria-Este, Franz Ferdinand will be given the position of Inspector general of all forces of the Austro-Hungarian army. The relationship between Franz Josef and the heir to the dual monarchy has been a strenuous one, His Royal Highness the Emperor has however seen fit to promote Archduke Franz Ferdinand to this esteemed position for his keen enthusiasm for reforming the Austro-Hungarian Army and Navy. He will be given a significant amount of autonomy when pushing for reforms and said reforms will be accepted should they modernise Austria-Hungary's army and navy into a formidable fighting force. He like Prince Charles will partake in a formal military education where little privileges as a monarch will help in his assessment as a major general. His appointment should be that of merit as opposed to birth. His children whilst being disqualified from the line of succession will follow a formal military education in Germany just as Prince Charles will.

    His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Austria
    Unlike the typical Austrian Prince, Charles has not followed a militaristic upbringing expected of an Austrian noble and has instead chosen to commit himself to the study of politics and has become quite the diligent statesman. He is a popular man with no shortage of friends and his union to Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma in 1911 was a favourable one in the eyes of Kaiser Franz Josef. With the political climate in Europe changing Charles will be expected to progress his education of politics further and will be expected to be keenly aware of the unique position that Austria-Hungary finds itself in. In light of this Charles will now also take an education in handling military affairs including administration, training and tactics in Germany. He is expected to learn from the best and achieve the same level of proficiency and expertise as that of a typical German general. He will be accompanied by his family and chosen members of his household upon leaving for Germany and will be expected to both leave as soon as possible and begin lessons shortly. Should he show the same level of skill for military affairs as he does for politics, we have no doubt that he will make a fine strategist and tactician.

  8. #58

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    Update

    Multiple nations host war games across Europe.

    Mobs storm the Swedish Embassy.

    Multiple Nations see worrying falls in their economics.

    Russia, Greece, Serbia, Romania & Montenegro sign the Balkan League

    The Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers.

    The Stockholm Agreement embargoes the United Kingdom

    Spain joins the Triple Entente and signs alliance with France

    Northern Epirus declares itself independent from Albania

    Greece occupies Northern Emirus upon invitation of Northern Epirus leaders.

    Minor mutinies break out across Spain.

    Bulgaria signs alliance with Austria-Hungary

    The Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia and her allies!

    Parliamentary Coup in Greece sees the abolition of the Monarchy!

    Carnevale is cancelled due to outbreak of war.


    Trade Wars, Word Wars and Real Wars

    Peace was never an option it seems for 1914. With tensions spiked in January, they continued to rise without any attempts to truly halt them. Whilst Italian invitations to Carnevale were well received, it was considered by many to simply be a half offer to bring tensions down by bringing heads of state together. The war games that many nations had begun to host and plan sent a very different message across Europe.

    The month opened with a deeply serious and troubling event. Though French police finally stepped in to halt the more violent behaviours of the protestors in Paris and to keep a safe screen between them and Embassy, it was for naught. For a few days the embassy was a buzz of activity, then nothing. Nobody was going in or out of the Embassy anymore. Rumours began to spread that the staff had made a daring escape which set off a sad and violent chain of events. Despite the best efforts of Police, the idea that the staff had fled engaged them. Soon clashes between French Police began to break out, when a protestor was stuck and felled by officers attempting to protect themselves, everything kicked off. On the 6th February protestors surged the police line striking them down and stormed the embassy. It was empty. The enraged mob set about destroying the building in their anger and soon a fire had broken out. More police began to arrive to try and quell the mod, but it was too late. The fire swept through the old embassy building and soon began to spread to other buildings. Clashes between police, the Gendarmerie nationale and mob turned bloody and rapidly. Over the space of three days, though the Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris were left alone by all side so that they could get the fire under control, the mod and police forces classed for days. It took the mobilisation and deployment of the Paris Garrison to get the mod under control. But the 11th, 33 buildings and the embassy were but ash with many more damaged. 112 citizens lay dead alongside 23 police officers, 11 Gendarmerie and 2 men of local garrison forces with many more on both sides badly injured.

    Whilst Paris fought itself, the Balkans came together in Athens this month. When London officially stepped away from contesting Athens, representatives from Russia, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania flocked to the Greek capital. The agreement signed on the 9th February created a new power plock in Europe. The Balkan League as it was now called, was nothing to scoff at. With Russian backing and the sturn lessons learnt from the Balkan Wars made the alliance one with a terrifyingly powerful military capability if left unchecked to develop. A reaction to this new alliance was instant. The Ottoman Empire who had sat out the events of January were swift to make moves of their own. Now fearing the possibility of a new war in the Balkans officially joined the Triple Alliance on the 12th. Bulgaria soon signed its own alliance with Austria-Hungary on the 23rd. The chain of alliances was only getting messier. Spain even got stuck into the thick of things in making the alliance web worse, joining the Triple Entente on the 16th and signing a separate alliance with France on the 18th..




    Tensions were only made worse as a trade war broke out this month following diplomatic clashes between the United Kingdom and the signatories of the Stockholm Agreement. From the 15th to 17th, the signatories all issued a full trade embargo upon the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom retaliated in turn with its own embargo and by closing the Suez Canal and all territorial wars to shipping from the Stockholm Agreement. The effects were instant. Whilst the flow of goods to Germany suffered a minor stutter, the shortfall was quickly picked up by her allies. With expansions to the Berlin Stockexchange under way, it was clear that Germany was looking no worse for wear. However; Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands began to feel a pinch straight away. Norway, who had long standing trading ties with the United Kingdom throughout its history as a kingdom, member of a union and now as an independent state. The sudden ending of trade ties was met with loud outcries across the nation. With the reduction of tariffs on one another, Government income had taken a downwards movement. Now with the loss of the large amount of trade done with the United Kingdom and the tariffs that came with it. Large numbers of factories and businesses that had seen what they considered a safe supply chain now broken. The shipping routes were now fastly longer increasing the time and costs of moving goods. The rushed choice to follow their ally Germany was not looking good, and whilst importing from Germany was an option, Germany was clearly not going to be able to cover all their losses without hurting herself. The halt of food important from the United Kingdom saw an immediate climb of prices, worrying many. The United Kingdom too saw a minor scare with the loss of raw material imports. How the Nordic nations will cope is anyone’s guess, but with the new Government in Britain reopening trade lanes, but not trade, there looks to be a chance to settle the issue in sight.


    The Nordic nations were not the only nations feeling an economic pinch. With tensions spiking and multiple nations signing full blown free trade agreements or lowering tariffs across the board, the nations of Europe had begun to experience an unexpected fall in their economies. Without regulation on the movement of goods, without the tariffs or taxes that came with their movements, everyone was left feeling a bit unsure of themselves. The movement of excess goods and often needed goods began to flow in and out of nations, turning the balance of payments on their heads. Whilst all leading economists say the effects are only temporary, the people did not know or understand what was happening. Does a run on the banks looms?

    Unrest also raised its ugly head in other nations. In Spain, the new military government faces its first serious issue. With the proposed reforms to the army in an effort to curb the ever worsening officer to soldier rations (which currently stand at 1:10) they had unwittingly trodden on a minefield of issues. The current government was a military dictatorship, backed by the power of the King but most important, backed by the Army they commanded. How can a military government last when it loses the support of said military? This was the issue now pressing Spain with many officers that faced being stood down declaring outright mutiny. The mutineers were led by a young officer by the name of Franciso Franco and were demanding an audience with the King to hear their grievances. Norway saw a surprising episode in Parliament that caught the nation by surprise. In a fiery speech given by a member of Parliament, he called upon the arrest of Queen Maud for treason. Stating that as the United Kingdom is the clear foe of Norway, Queen Maud’s ties as sister to King George made her an enemy of Norway. Nobody knew what to make of this rouge and very out of order speech.

    On the 20th February 1914, following previously unnoticed unrest in Southern Albania, Northern Epirus declared itself independent. Two days later, Greek troops, under invitation from newly proclaimed President Georgios Christakis-Zografos, entered the region and placed it firmly under greek control. As an ethnically greek region of Albania, the move to split was less a shock as it was a simering issue to many. The occupation of the region by Greek forces though, caught many off guard. The troops there though, did not stay long. It was to be the following chain of events in the Balkans that were to light the powder keg.




    Death of a Great Man.

    The bright morning of the 5th was broken in Vienna by the sound of two pistol shots. A man lay face down on the cobblestone in a growing pool of his own blood as his escort struggled with his killer a few steps away. Feldmarschall Conrad von Hötzendorf had been making his way from his lunch to yet another meeting with yet another group of officers. He had been wondering if his work day would end with enough time for him to enjoy a meal with his wife that evening or if he was going to have to spend another night in his personal quarters at HQ. These thoughts were swept from his head as a lone man came striding towards him and drew a revolver. The first shot missed and flew wide past his left ear. As his escort jumped the lone gunman another shot rang out, triggered as the would-be assassin was tackled to the ground. von Hötzendorf crumpled, killed instantly. The bullet had passed clear through his left breast. Reactions from authorities were instant. A manhunt went underway for anybody who had any information on the gunman beyond what little information they could draw from him. Soon their investigations led them to a property in the South Eastern side of the city. There, information the police had been looking for was found. The documents linked the man to a Serbian group called “The Black Hand” and provided evidence for a wider plot to kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand! The Austro-Hungarian reaction was instant.






    Krieg

    The assassination of von Hötzendorf sparked an out cry for vengance in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At Feldmarschall's grand funeral on the 23rd, fiery speeches were given about seeking vengeance, but nothing seemed to come from them. The ambassadors to Serbia, Russia, Romania, Montenegro and Greece were all present to show their sorry for the assassination and to try and speak calm into a tense situation. At 00:00 on the 24th, von Hötzendorf’s coffin was carried out of St. Stephen’s Cathedral where it had been lying in state, Minister-President Karl von Stürgkh gave a speech: “Due to the attack upon our Chief of Staff and links to a greater conspiracy within our country that is tied as closely to yours as a dog is to a leash, we deem it necessary to issue a declaration of war upon you (Serbia) and your allies. We were forced to do this to protect our interests and the very lives of our citizens. Constantly your government has exhibited feelings and actions of great aggression towards ours, well it is both our duty and pleasure to respond to these acts on the field of battle. You have chosen this course of action and having pursued these actions without relent we will also meet you in a spirit as determined as your unfounded hatred towards our Kaiserreich. No longer will we tolerate the evil actions of you or your allies' governments. Having not even attempted cordial relations with us and persisting in hostility to the extent of a serious attack upon our state, a state of war now exists between us and the allies of Serbia.”

    With that, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had declared war upon the Kingdom of Serbia and her allies. The ambassadors present were stunned and rushed to their respective embassies to try and get the news across. It was too late. At 0430, troops of the secretly mobilised I. Armee crossed the Serbian border west of Belgrade. They faced little to no opposition, sweeping the few border garrisons before them. At 0500, Belgrade itself came under attack as batteries from I. Armeekorps began to rain upon the city's defenses. By 1021 hours, the capital was in the hands of Austria-Hungary with minimal resistance, but the government had successfully fled along with the King. The V through VII Armeekorps though all failed to meet their objectives. As they advanced into the Dinaric Alps, winter snows had yet to have melted and Serbian border forces and defenses were ready and waiting having had around 3 hours notice of the attacks to the North. With all garrisons up the strength with what forces they had available and local citizens grabbing whatever rifles they could, the men waiting in their dug in positions. It was a turkey shoot. Without any preliminary bombardments and the snows forcing them into the narrow, well defended passes the Austro-Hungarians were mown down by well placed Machine gun positions and accurate rifle fire. It was soon clear that no results would be gained until the winter snows were fully melted. The dance in the north petered out as it reached the foothills south of Belgrade. Serbian forces were mobilising into them and it was clear that an attack would result in too many losses. Though the Austrio-Hungatians probed for weak points, none could be found and commanders, already aware of the brutal malling other elements had received, were hesitant to throw their men into the meat grinder. The situation was only made worse by the arrival of Greek forces to the region three days later.






    In Montenegro the Austro-Hungarian XXX and XXIX Armeekorps faced extreme issues with issues with attempting attacks into the southern Dinaric Alps. Like it’s brethren attacking into Serbia, high command and seemed to have forgotten the time of year in their rush to launch their surprise attacks. Montenegrin forces made the invaders payer dearly for every inch of land that was taken, forcing the poor Austrian Divisions into killing grounds of their choosing. Despite the element of surprise, there was only so much the ill prepared troops could do againsts a well covered and placed machine guns and light field guns of the border garrisons. In Romania, the attack by the 3. Armee was an unmitigated disaster. Though the famed Gebirgsjäger lead the way, they were unable to successfully piece into the Transylvanian Alps. Here, commanders refused to back down and threw their men into the narrow passes that were defended by ever increasing numbers of Romanians. XIV and XI Armeekorps in particular were badly broken as they attempted to smash through the Romanian positions. On no less than six occasions the attackers reached Romanian lines with bayonet, but each time the defenders threw them back. In the north east of Romania, the attack fared far better. XX and XIX Armeekorps were able to succesfully overpower the border garrisons and advanced southwards, driving their foe before them. Soon though their western flank was assailed by Russian forces. To the horror of the Austro-Hungarian high command, the Russians had mobilised in times they had not even come close to predicting. Now, attacked by a massively numerically superior force, the attack was blunted and brought to a grinding halt.

    On the Russian border, a limited but effective general offensive was launched. Advancing to the southern limits of the Pripet marshes, the 3. Armee captured and held the the main and vital routes used to exit the marshes too the south. Digging in, the Austrian and Hungarian Divisions were soon assailed by the might of the Russian bear. Now though it was the turn of the Slavs to be cut down. With the marshes limiting the available routes and Hungarian light cavalry keeping local Cossacks at bay whilst keeping close watch on Russian forces, the commanders of 3. Armee were able to draw the Russians into an engagement of their choosing. From the 25th - 28th Russian forces, both local and soon the arriving mobilised units, threw themselves upon the 3. Armee’s lines. The Austro-Hungarians held firm and inflicted horrendous losses upon the Russians.

    At sea, the Balkan League took the upper hand. Romanian and the Russian Black Sea Fleet, launched a preemptive strike on the Bulgarian fleet at anchor. Led by the Russian Pre-Dreadnoughts Ioann Zlatoust and Ioann Zlatoust , the combined fleet launched their attacks on Varna and Burgas on the 27th. Though the fleet had been rushed into action, they caught the Bulgarian coast defenses and navy napping. In just five hours of brutal bombardments the small Bulgarian Navy was knocked out of the war in one fell swoop. With only 10 warships to her name, now Bulgaria had none and had lost none. The Russian and Romanian combined fleet suffered a single loss, the Russian Zavidnyi who suffered a magazine hit from the Bulgarian coastal fire, and was blown out the water with all hands.

    As the month drew to a close, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had suffered 9,000 casualties in Serbia, 12,000 in Romania, 7,000 in Montenegro and 5,000 in Russia. A total of 33,000 losses in just four days across four borders. The Balkan League losses amounted to: Serbia: 5,000, Russia: 15,000, Montenegro: 2,000, Greece: 500 and Romania 6,000.




    Last edited by Bravescot; 03-14-2020 at 12:22 PM.

  9. #59

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    The Second Hellenic Republic
    The disunity between the Greek pro-Entente government and King Constantines I pro-Central Powers foreign policy had proven to be a problem for quite some time, the two sides had continuously been taking stabs at each others "ludacris" foreign politics. But when the German Empire announced an alliance with the Greek peoples long time rival and oppressor the Ottoman Empire, many believed the King would finally see reason and unite the government. Which he did however not in the way people expected instead of uniting behind Venizelos and his pro-Entente government he ordered Venizelos government be dissmissed. But Venizelos refused to be dissmissed and ordered some of his most trusted aides in the military to put the King under house arrest until the matter was solved. Venizelos feeling threatened from the Kings actions and seeing that the King would never see reason called on his cabinet for a quick meeting on the matter. Initially Venizelos did not want to abolish the monarchy but favoured a more modest approach of appointing Constantines son Alexander as the new monarch. Alexander was known to be weak and moldable. He soon had doubts however perhaps Alexander would be too weak to lead the Hellenic people. His pondering soon ended with him and his cabinet coming to the conclusion that Greece would be better off without noble houses and so a new act was brought before parliament simply named "The Republican Act". Greece was to abolish the monarchy, rename itself the Hellenic Republic, exile the king and elect a President. The act was passed with an overwhelming majority. The first "President of the Hellenic Republic" was elected through parliament, President Emmanouil Benakis a good friend of Venizelos. However Benakis would come to hold very little real power as most of the kingships previous powers was bestowed upon the Prime Minister.




    Northern Epirus
    We the government of the Hellenic Republic believe that it is our duty to protect all Hellenic people. So when the government of Northern Epirus called for us to aid them in their right to self determination it was obvious for us what choice had to be made. We want to make it very clear however that it is not war we seek with Albania, we only seek to free the people of Northern Epirus from a government they do not want. The Hellenic Republic have started negotiations with the Principality of Albania on terms for the release of Northern Epirus from Albanian rule.

    War with Austria-Hungary
    The government of the Hellenic Republic calls on Austria-Hungary to fall back to its borders before more lives are unnecessarily ended. This war has no justification! We also call on other world powers to interfere and help us end this meaningless conflict!


    - My shitty version of a parliamentary coup.
    - The Hellenic Republic tries to initiate negotiations with the Principality of Albania.
    - The Hellenic Republic condemns Austria-Hungarys actions as unjustifiable and calls on other world powers to help us end this unnecessary war.
    Last edited by Furrnox; 03-13-2020 at 03:29 AM.

  10. #60

    "Dieu Et Mon Droit"

    "We are Concerned"
    Prime Minister Balfour, the morning after hearing news of the attacks on the Balkan League and raid on Bulgaria, was quoted as he rushed towards Parliament as saying simply "We are Concerned." Indeed, at this very moment Parliament is in great debate as to what to make of this new and volatile Balkan War. As the nations of Europe gather together in what looks to be an escalation of the conflict, what is agreed upon is that the United Kingdom, together with its vast empire and her dominions, will not stand idly by without a course or cause. While it is unfortunate that any man be assassinated, such a rash and immediate action, taken without due inquiry or even a chance for the accusations to be met and refuted, must not go unpunished. Peace in Europe has been carefully kept in place only by the maintenance of a fragile balance of power. By attacking, in a barely legal fashion, 4 sovereign nations at once, Austria-Hungary has proven itself to be the aggressor. In response, the United Kingdom sanctions the Austro-Hungarian Empire and, in order to prevent any possible escalation of the conflict, specific inspections and checks are to be put in place at the Suez Canal.

    God Save the Empire, and God Save King George!

    - Trade with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, by the United Kingdom and all her subjects, is hereby banned.
    - Passage through the Suez Canal, Gibraltar Strait, and English Channel is hereby banned for vessels of Austro-Hungarian origin or vessels sporting the Austro-Hungarian flag.
    - Vessels of military origin or vessels carrying troops and material for making war in the Balkans are hereby banned from passing through the Suez Canal.

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