SDN World 3 Story Thread I

[Thanas]

Berlin, Charité
August 18th, 1927

Over the days, the Chancellor's condition had improved. On August 12th, he awoke again and had been able to eat a bit and talk for a few minutes to his wife. On August 13th, he had been able to move his body and hold a conversation for half an hour. By August 15th, he was back in the process of running the country, receiving reports and adding his commentary to them. Of course, he was still exhausted after even short bursts of activity, which meant he would take a few naps, especially after he had finished writing what he deemed to be satisfactory. He handed over the paper to Elise and drifted off to sleep.

Natasha had been sitting next to him and was now continuing with her book. Her reading time however was interrupted when one of the guardsmen slipped back in and announced in a silent voice that the Prince of Hapsburg had arrived. She nodded, closed her book and walked out to meet His Royal Highness, or as her husband used to refer to him in private "the spoiled brat".

"Your Highness." "Countess Volkonskaya." The Greeting was cordial and formal. "I was wondering if I might pay a visit to your husband and convey my heartfelt congratulations at his recovery?" "I am afraid he is sleeping, your highness."

The Prince nodded, looking forlorn. "Oh." He took of his cadet's cap and twisted it in his hands, looking very much his age of fifteen and very, very alone. Later on, Natasha was wondering if it was the pregnancy or her own decision to take pity on the Prince, but eventually she decided she would most likely have acted the same way. "But I would be glad to have some company, if you can spare the time."

The Prince smiled. "I can." Four hours later, when Sänger woke up again, his wife told him how she had talked to the Prince and done her best to cheer him up. "...it can't be easy for the boy. He's 15, has lost nearly all his family already and has been educated in the cadet corps ever since. I can't imagine he has got many friends and he's expected to take to the throne of Hungary and Austria...after being married off to that Egyptian woman who is much older than he. And all the time having to worry about his life and standing."

Even though she did not say it, Sänger knew what she meant. "If he worries so much, maybe he should worry some more before making foolhardy statements in front of the Reichstag."

Undeterred, Natasha went on. "He is worried about his people, but that is not it. He is a young boy who is expected to be the last, great hope of the House of Hapsburg. I do not think him malicious at heart, just misguided by his expectations and other people. I think you should give him a chance." Sänger grimaced. "You already invited him to dine with us as soon as I get out of here, didn't you?" "He invited us." Sänger's eyebrow twitched. "Did he now?" The Reichskanzler furrowed his brow, apparently lost in thought.

Natasha knew better than to interrupt him when he pretended to be thinking - though it was not as if she did not already know the answer. "Very well. If that spoiled brat has any brains then he should have recognized the value of national unity now. And after saying that, I think I need a drink. Armagnac, preferably."

Natasha smirked. "Doctor's orders. You are not to have any alcohol to drink until Professor Sauerbruch says so. Besides, didn't we agree we would both stop drinking until our child was born?" "If I agree to dine with the brat there is no way I will get through the evening without alcohol."

The playful banter would have continued if the next report had not come in from Burchardt. Sänger looked at it and frowned. As soon as I get out of this I shall have to have a talk with the Emperor.



Reichzkanzlei, Berlin

Excerpt from "European History of the 20th century", Vol. II, by Dr. Alexander Sänger, University of Cambridge, publ. 1992.

...over the decades many histories of the events of August 1927 have been written. Most of them decide to focus on the last-minute awakening of the Reichskanzler, Dr. mult. Johannes Sänger. However, many historians continue to gloss over the fact that it was not the Reichskanzler himself who marched into the Generalstab and ordered the war to be stopped. This credit belongs to Vizekanzler Dr. ing hc Jakob Burchardt, Reichstag delegate from the free Hanseatic city of Hamburg. It was Dr. Burchardt who tirelessly carried out the Reichskanzlers rather broad instructions. Without his leadership in the time of crisis, I have no doubt that a catastrophe could not have been avoided. The majority, if not all of the messages emitted from the Reichskanzlei bore Sänger's name and signature, though they were undoubtedly written by Burchardt himself, who to the end of his days declined to speak about his role in the process....

Jakob Burchardt smirked and put down the black book. Previously, he had been asked to carry out a most important task, maybe the most important of his life. To fulfill this task, Sänger had given him permission to "use the medals. Elise will know".

Truth to be told, Burchardt had always been wondering why his friend, who never wore a medal in his life except the Hanseatic crosses, would decorate his stateroom in the Reichskanzlei with the medals, orders and honours princes both foreign and domestic had showered him with. The answer had been very simple. Since nobody but the Sovereign or the Reichskanzler had permission to touch them without prior permission, the displays of the medals were the perfect hiding spot for Sänger's black books. These books contained names of government officials and important people in both Germany and foreign nations. Most importantly, they listed who could be intimidated, bribed, relied upon or used, which politician or official or soldier hated whom etc.

Without a doubt, they were the most valuable books in existence and some of them, old and decripit, had to have been arranged by both the great Bismarck and von Holstein, Sänger's mentor and head of the German foreign office, aka the monster of the Labyrinth as some had dubbed him. They contained decades of intelligence work and personal experiences. To his own surprise, they also contained a rather vivid summary of the Crown Prince's years in the army, including detailed listing which bordellos he had frequented. Burchardt's own entry, meanwhile had been rather disappointing - written in Elise's neat script, signed with the Chancellor's own S.

Burchardt, Jakob. Reichstag delegate from Hamburg. Married, two children. No lovers, no crimes. Reliable. - S.

Of course, he had looked up the entry about Sänger himself.

Sänger, J. Dr. iur, Dr. phil, Historian Diplomat Special Envoy to Russia Special Envoy to Italy Head negotiator for the German Empire Reichskanzler. Sharp mind. Reliable. Will make good use of these books and the trust placed in him - v.H.
Married to Volkonskaya, N. (II) - S.

But Burchardt's curiosity had to be curtailed. There was business to be done and the books - or rather the information in it - had to be put to good use.

Soon, diplomatic telegrams were sent out. The far larger number of those were addressed to German embassies around the world and to the allies of the German Empire, inviting them to a conference in Vienna.

The second batch of telegrams were sent to the Aegean Axis and the Sultanate of Sudan.

From the German Empire, the French Republic, the Kingdom of Spain and the Nation of Portugal to the Aegean Axis and the Sultanate of Sudan

Your Imperial Majesty, your Excellencies.

The German Empire, the French Republic, the Kingdom of Spain and the Nation of Portugal would like to invite you to a Grand Conference to discuss the current conflict and hopefully resolve it through peaceful means. The Kingdom of Tuscany has offered to host it in the fair city of Rome, an offer which is most agreeable to the German Empire.

The above-mentioned nations have decided to appoint Gustav Stresemann, the Vorsteher des Auswärtigen Amtes, as its representative.

We await your reply.

Signed:
Alain Dupont, President of the French Republic
Sänger, Reichskanzler
The Council of Portugal
Marian I., Queen of Spain etc.

[DarthShady]

Belgrade, Balkan Confederacy

"It would seem we may have a chance at getting out of this mess, without a war." Ivo Kosor commented to the assembled group of Confederate officials. The room was filled with much discussion on the current situation and the threat that Germany posed, if war proved unavoidable.

"Let's give it our best shot than." Sirah said. "Mr. Kosor, I want you to go to this Grand Conference in Rome and join the representatives of our allies. If peace can be achieved, we must try."

"Of course Sir." Kosor replied.

"Now Gentlemen, even though I hope for peace, we must be ready for the worst. How go our preparations?" Sirah said and a long discussion on how best to deal with the situation began.

Result: Ivo Kosor, Secretary of Foreign Affairs will attend the Grand Conference on behalf of the Balkan Confederacy.

[Siege]

Sultanate Armed Forces HQ
Citadel of Saladin, Cairo



"Negotiations?!" raged General Farouk al-Sulayman. The commander of the Army of Libya looked on the verge of an apoplexy. "He would have us negotiate with the Cruaders?! Has the Sultan gone mad?!"

"I pray you stay your tongue," counseled General Ismail Pasha, the commander of the elite Red Knights. He picked a glass off one of the trays offered to him by the servants that scurried around the table in the middle of the war room. "There are good reasons for His Exalted Majesty to order as he-"

"We have the upper hand!" al-Sulayman continued as if he had not heard Pasha speak. "We can take all of North Africa up to Carthago, right now! "Why do we retire? Why?"

"The Sultan believes the time does not favour us," General Mu'ammad Fakhr of the Home Army rumbled, but it seemed his heart was not in it. Nearly half of the two active Army Corps under his command were already in Libya, and even more troops were moving and being assembled.

"Time!" spat al-Sulayman. "Time? Who cares for time! Allah does not favour our enemies. And Allah alone determines the outcome of battle!"

Pasha gritted his teeth. The General was a fool, someone who had only risen to his exalted rank through the connections of his family and nauseating displays of piety. But right now Ismail Pasha was unsure if al-Sulayman had been faking it, as Pasha had always thought. Maybe the man really was a lunatic zealot. That could be a problem. "The esults of war are determined by God," Pasha agreed. "But also by preparations. Numbers. The absence of disease, and the availability of supplies. One cannot win a war without the support of one's allies. And our allies are not committed--for they would be fighting on their home soil in Europe..."

"If you think that way, you will not be general for long," growled al-Sulayman. "We should move now, strike the iron whilst it is hot... If we give the order for our armies to advance our troops would not question us. And when the war is underway, the Sultan cannot possibly back out of it. Our allies will follow us. We will be victorious--Allah wills it!"

Ismail Pasha nearly blinked. The man was proposing what amounted to a coup. Was he insane? He opened his mouth to advise the general of the dangers of his words, but he was too late. One of the servants who had moved around the room largely unnoticed until that point had turned around, pulled a pistol from his loose-fitting garments, and shot the general in the head at close range. Blood and brain matter spattered over the great map table and its outline of the North African coast.

The body of General al-Sulayman hit the ground with a wet smack. Pasha managed not to cringe--something Fakhr and the orderlies in the room didn't quite pull off. The assassin took an ironic bow. "May the Seven Doves rest on your shoulders, General Pasha," he greeted with the melodic accent of the Hejaz Hashshasin. "The Sultan sends his regards, and wishes you to know that his Grand Vizier will be attending the treaty conference in Rome. Until such time as he returns or you are relieved, you may consider yourself in overall command of the Armies of Egypt." The man smiled wolfishly. "Congratulations on your promotion."

Result: First death of the crisis on the Egyptian side is a general . Also, Grand Vizier Ikrimah al-Jaffar will attend the conference in Rome with a sizeable delegation.

[RogueIce]

Preliminary Report Released by American Officials Regarding Bomb Attack

The American investigation team, upon examining the evidence provided by the German government regarding the terrorist bomb attack, has found that there is "insufficient evidence" demonstrating any culpability by the British government regarding the incident.

While a full report is due to be released sometime next week...

[loomer]

Kabul Enquirer

AFGHANISTAN TO OFFER SUPPORT TO BYZANTIUM!

Today, the new Hall of Debate's barely dried paint echoed with assent to Minister Fahad's proposal to offer support to the People's Republic's Ally, the Byzantine Empire. The complete majority came as a surprise to our observers, as it breaks the pattern of constant stand-still debates, filibusters, and brawls (Minister Al-Ludd died of his injuries shortly before the meeting according to his nurses - the nation will grieve!) that has kept the government in a deadlock since the Victory over Shepistan and the establishment of the Coastal Route.

Fahad has reportedly offered "total support, militarily and economically, to our Western Allies." despite the fact that the tense European stand-off appears to be diminishing! His reasons for entering the conflict now are entirely unclear but we have the best of faith in our new leader, as his track record has been full of success!

We would also like to thank Minister Fahad for his wise judgement and infinite mercy in releasing our editor from custody with his remaining eye and hand intact.

[loomer]

Berlin, a day like any other

Nothing was amiss aboard the latest vessel to dock in the Westhafen and unload its precious cargo of ores and rugs. It was a private freighter, registered with Afghani authorities, devoid of weapons or even hashish, crewed by Russians and Pashtun ethnics. The ores were of their usual standard - rich, partway refined. The only unusual elements were that firstly, it was rare for one of the new Afghani-registered vessels to travel this far abroad, and secondly, that it left one man short.

Mahoud ibn Wari walked, wrapped in a heavy coat, along the street. This was not his first visit to Germany - his passport had an interesting history. He was not an Afghani by birth, but instead hailed from the Soviet Republics north of the tiny, naturalized into Afghanistan later in life. He had spent the last five years in a number of countries - he had visited Britain briefly, Byzantine for some months, and had even set foot on Cascadian soil for a day. None of this was unusual, of course, for the crewman of a bulk freighter.

Today, however, things were very different. Sewn into his coat's thick panels, were several notepads full of numbers and traveller's cheques. And while the Russo-Afghani with the colourful past walked, searched out cheap housing and didn't even bother to conceal his identity or ethnicity, a shortwave broadcaster in Afghanistan came online for the first time.

"6 6 2 5 2 99 21. 6 6 2 4 2 99 21. 6 6 2 5 2 99 21..."

[Thanas]

Stadtschloss
December 14th, 1928

The results from the special elections held to replace the Reichstag delegates who had died in the attack had come in. Unsurprisingly, the socialists from the Dutch territories had taken the worst hits. With their leaders and most of their faction dead, they barely managed to hold as the party - or what was left of it - had squabbled first over leadership, then over campaign management and goals. Most of their seats had instead gone to the conservative Dutch faction lead by ex-Field Marshal Seyffardt or to the social liberals.

Their German partners, the SPD, the largest faction of the Reichstag, had withered the storm very well. After all, they had decades of experience in replacing candidates and a well-oiled party machine that had survived Government prosecution for nearly seven decades before the reforms had put an end to that. They remained the largest faction, bolstered by the recovery of Scheidemann and Müller.

The German conservatives had come out of the election unharmed - they had only lost one member in the blast and he had come from a district that had elected conservatives for as long as it had existed. Though von Westarp had announced that Hugenberg had decided to retire - only a few people knew that Burchardt had given Hugenberg the opportunity to retire or to be shipped of to colonial service - his seat too was held by the conservatives. Hugenberg would not be missed, especially since von Westarp was glad to be back in full control of his party.

All in all, the situation in the Reichstag remained the same as before, with Sänger's coalition of the catholic centrum, the national liberals and the social liberals making gains at the expense of the socialists. However, the socialists had largely voted for Sänger's policies, so commentators usually summarized the election with "same as it ever was".

However, there was one person in the German Empire who feared for his position. That person was Wilhelm II. The conservative leader, von Westarp, had not been very appreciative that Wilhelm had selected Hugenberg over the more senior politician. And while the armed forces remained loyal to the Emperor, that loyalty appeared to be more owned to the position than to the man himself.

Wilhelm of course had not been idle. He had granted private audiences to a lot of people and conferred the House Order of Hohenzollern even more of them. He could of course not approach Sänger directly, but he had conferred the Order of Louise, first class, on the Chancellor's wife while also opening a hand-written correspondence with her. Still, all of that had seemed to amount to little because now, Jakob Burchardt had asked for an audience and the Emperor had found no plausible reason to refuse him.

"Your Imperial Majesty." "Herr Doktor Burchardt. What brings you to me this day?" The two were alone in the audience hall, as requested by Burchardt. "I bring you a message from the Reichskanzler." Burchardt stepped forward and held out a hand-written letter.

Your Imperial Majesty,

May God keep you in good health.

My wife and I thank you for the honour bestowed upon her and sent our greetings. Sadly, the duties of state and the recovery process do not permit me to deliver this message in person. I have to beg your forgiveness and hope that Dr. ing. h.c. Burchardt, Vizekanzler to the German Empire, will be a suitable replacement.

Your Majesty can be assured of my personal and continuing loyalty to the House of Hohenzollern. I have imparted this loyalty on my good friend Jakob Burchardt, who knows what to do should another crisis come into existence.

I thank Your Majesty for displaying clear leadership in the time of crisis. Though there have been rumours circulating in the Reichstag, especially from the socialist factions, that the health of Your Majesty may require your Majesty to step down, I am sure these are only rumors. I pray daily for your Majesty's health. I shall also use my political influence to prevent these rumours from transforming into a vote of censure in the Reichstag. For as long as I am Reichskanzler, nobody shall ever threaten your authority.

Our unity shall lead Germany to greater power still.

Hochachtungsvoll,
Johannes Sänger

The Emperor nodded, feeling relief. He read the message once more and then understanding began to dawn on him. After a short period of weighing his options, he nodded at Burchardt. "Tell the Reichskanzler that I am grateful for his continued loyalty to my House."

Berliner Nachrichten
January 1st 1928

Full report publishes, no clear link to British Government
The American commission published its full report today, stating that while the bomb was of British design and that it seemed as if there were low-level contacts from British Intelligence to the terrorists in Holland, there was no evidence the British Government ordered the attempted assassination.

Spanish claims to Gibraltar put on hold, Vienna conference announces neutrality
The kingdom of Spain announced today that it would withdraw its ultimatum to Britain in its entirety. Any claim to Gibraltar will not be pursued during the course of the Vienna conference, which has been ongoing since September 1st. The Nations partaking in the Vienna conference meanwhile announced in a joint statement that they shall not commit to any war of agression during the course of the conference and that they would stay neutral with regards to any other conflict.

Crown Prince resumes duties
The King of the Netherlands and of the Belgians, Crown Prince Eitel Friedrich, has resumed his official duties with his new years address. The crown prince announced that he and his bride Maria Elisabeth of Spain will wed on March 15th, 1928.

Not Hungarian enough?
Some Hungarian politicians have spoken out against Prince Otto of Hapsburg, stating that both he and his wife were not Hungarian enough to take the throne. The Hungarian assembly is supposed to vote on the issue of granting the Prince dispensation to ascend to the Throne of Hungary earlier than normally allowed under the law...

Navy assumes control of new ships
The two Lexington-class carriers and the six Hamburg-class light cruisers were delivered today to the German Navy. The Spanish Navy commissioned four battleships and two battlecruisers, whereas the French Navy took delivery of the two Lexington-class carriers ordered previously. Chinese crews have also arrived in Germany to take control of the two battlecruisers ordered in Germany. All ships have finished fitting out.

Berlin,
Sicherheitsdienst building

The security services of the German Empire were housed in an unassuming office building next to the General Staff. Originally, the so-called "political" and "intelligence" departments had been run by the local police. One of Sänger's reforms had been to take that power away from the police and amalgamate them into one independent service. Of course, most of the men and women serving had been former police officers who merely had exchanged one coat for another. The secret services had also been strictly federalized, abolishing the secret police forces of the various member states, which had been turned into local offices. There also was the military security service, but that remained under the control of the General Staff, whereas the head of the Sicherheitsdienst reported directly to the Chancellor. The Sicherheitsdienst consisted of two departments, overseen by a common directorate.

One department, the Geheimdienst (secret service), only dealt with external affairs. It conducted all espionage operations not run by the military security service and was split into different departments, with each department being responsible for one country.

The Geheimpolizei (secret police) was responsible for internal affairs, split into five sub-departments, or Abteilungen.
Abteilung A dealt with the classical observation of political enemies within the German Empire. Originally mustering tens of thousands of officers and informants used to fight socialists, it now had the duty of observing radical conservatives.
Abteilung B dealt with counter-espionage. It had largely inherited the well-placed network of Abteilung A and was rumored to have informers in every bar in certain cities.
Abteilung C was not a single department. Rather it was a conglomerate of the various duties that the other departments could or would not handle.
Abteilung D was the enforcement aim of the Internal Affairs department.
Abteilung E dealt with one problem only - the Dutch terrorists. It had carried out this task with great efficiency so far, though the head officers had been sacked after both the assassination of the Dutch Queen and of the bomb blast.

On this day, the Geheimpolizei held the last of its daily meetings, or rather four department heads did. There were two men and one woman in attendance plus two typists. The first men, a tall, aristocratic figure, was Hans Bernd Gisevius, head of the Geheimpolizei. He was an outsider - young for his position, but rumored to be one of the favorites of the Reichskanzler.

Sitting to his right was Louise Smith, head of section B. When she spoke, she did so with an audible British accent, which stemmed from her many years in England. She had married Peter Smith, a worker in the British Admiralty. What Peter had not known was that she was in reality a Geheimdienst Agent and when she had been - upon his influence - invited to work in the Admiralty as a secretary, she had used this position to pass on secret document to the German Embassy for over two decades. Eventually, she had been found out and barely escaped into said embassy. Her husband had not been so lucky. Now, she headed the counter-espionage department after having transferred from the Geheimdienst to the Geheimpolizei.

Sitting opposite her and to the left of Gisevius was Rudolf Meier, head of the enforcement aim, a bald, stout person. His work, especially concerning certain interrogation practices now forbidden under the new constitution, was the subject of many rumours in the department, though nobody knew how much was true or fabrication put out by Meier himself.

Louise Smith was finishing her status report. "...and now for some comedy. Two weeks ago, a ship entered a German port with goods from Afghanistan. When it wanted to sail, the outbound inspection revealed that one crewmember had gone missing. The ship was detained for two days and a search was started. This search proved fruitless and the ship was allowed to sail. A description of the man was taken and handed over to all police department. After all, it is not the first time a foreign crewmember tried to illegally immigrate to this country. Yesterday, during a routine inspection, Berlin police picked him up. He resisted and injured one policemen before he was taken in. When a search revealed he carried coded documents and a large amount of money, we were called in. Abteilung D has held him since and while he has not confessed, my department is certain he is a spy."

Gisevius interrupted at this point. "You mean to say that whoever is behind this, sent a man with no fake identity, a route of entering the country that was sure to guarantee he would be noticed and coded documents and a large amount of money into Germany?"

Smith nodded. "As I said, comedy. Which also rules out all major European intelligence agencies." "The Afghans? Surely they are not so stupid to use their own citizens?" "Our best guess so far. Either they are indeed that stupid...." "....or they wish him to be picked up. In which case all we'll do is waste resources on him." Smith nodded once more. "Indeed. Though I cannot help but wonder how one man is supposed to do that, given our resources. In any case, I have asked all our agents to keep an eye on any additional Afghan national entering the country." Gisevius stood. "Thank you. Keep me informed."

As soon as he left the room, Meier spoke for the first time since the meeting had started. "My men will try to turn him, though so far he is not responding well to such attempts. Even pointing out that his Government wanted him to be caught and providing him with evidence of it did not do the trick. But he'll talk. The question is what we do with him afterwards - and whether Gisevius should be informed about the option we'll choose."

Smith's eyes became even more colder than they already were. "If I remember correctly, the Afghans crucified the last German spy they caught. Maybe a baptizing is in order?"

**************


Rome,
January 4th, 1928

The finished treaty was a monumental piece of work. Of course, the prepared document now on the table was nothing but a rough summary. The real treaty was over 200 pages long, detailing the various instances to the treaty to avoid any misinterpretation or future problem. Over 200 diplomats of all nations had worked hard to achieve that goal.

It was also true that the signing ceremony was just that - ceremonial. Binding notes of agreement had been exchanged between the nations as soon as the treaty had been finalized. But of course, everybody had felt the need to show to the rest of the world and to their populace that yes, there was going to be peace and no, Europe had not gone insane.

Sänger had flown in late from Vienna, where the much larger Alliance congress was held. It had originally started with 400 delegates, which had by now grown to over 40.000 of them. The German Governement even had to charter whole ocean liners in October to carry over the latest batch from abroad.

He himself had almost recovered completely from the bombing, though he still needed to use a cane and had to sit down after walks. Still, his recovery, which was expected to continue, had been a huge relief for both him and Natasha. Now it was her turn to be looked after as their first child was due in three weeks, though with the Vienna conference in play the looking-after part mainly fell to their families, a fact that dismayed the Reichskanzler.

He desperately hoped he would have finished with the conference in Vienna in order to witness the birth of his first chield, though maybe von Stresemann, who had been the primary negotiator on this treaty, could take over from him. He and Rathenau, who had been negotiating on Sänger's behalf in Vienna at first and had taken a secondary role when the Chancellor had been well enough to take over, were a good team. In any case, now was not the time to dwell on these matters. Seeing as how the doctors had forbidden him from doing any grand speeches while standing, he made a rather small address.

"Your excellencies, honored guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. My previous speakers have already spoken at length about the need for mutual peace and understanding between our great nations. Now the time has come to transform these words into actions for the German Empire. The German Empire desires peace and security on its borders and I feel this treaty achieves these aims. I am especially delighted that the royal marriage and the canal project shall proceed and view it as a mutual level of trust. There are still questions to be answered - the compensation owed to the German Empire and vice versa due to the cancelled arms treaties. But I feel that in mediation, these claims shall be resolved to mutual satisfaction. Indeed, I shall advocate that we instead look to the future. A future of peace and of coexistence."

With that, he signed the treaty on the spot where his name was placed.

Treaty of Rome, January 4th, 1928

Acknowledging the disastrous potential of a European-wide war, all signatories, determined to achieve the mutual goal of peaceful and cordial relations, agree to the following articles:


ARTICLE I: SIGNATORIES
(I) This treaty shall be concluded between the Republic of France, the German Empire, the Kingdom of Spain and the Nation of Portugal (henceforth referred to as The Alliance) and the nations of the Balkan Confederacy, The Egyptian Sultanate, and the Byzantine Empire (henceforth referred to as The Aegean Axis).
(II) The same articles shall also apply to the Blue Sultanate of Sudan, who, while not a member of the Axis, shall be counted as such for the purpose of this treaty.


ARTICLE II: ZONES OF INFLUENCE
(I) All territories and holdings of the Aegean Axis shall be considered their Zone of influence. Any and all claims to that territory by the Alliance shall be hereby considered null and void. The Alliance promises not to interfere in any matter in these territories.
(II) All territories and holdings of the Alliance shall be considered their Zone of influence. Any and all claims to that territory by the Axis shall be hereby considered null and void. The Axis promises not to interfere in any matter in these territories.
(III) Territories and holdings of the signatory states shall be defined as the territory and holdings of the member states at the date of January 1st, 1925 and any territory and holdings they might have acquired up to and including the time of the signing of this treaty.


ARTICLE III: MILITARY DEPLOYMENTS
(I) Both the Alliance and the Axis may deploy military at will to their respective zones of influence. No such deployment shall be construed as a national threat or used as a casus belli against any signatory state.
(II) In the interest of peace, the following level of troops are to be considered maximum:
a) The German/Balkan border and the surrounding military districts may not be garrisoned by more than one (1) million men by either side and not hold more than 1500 aircraft of all sizes by either party. The border is defined as a strip of 25km on both sides
b) The Byzantine/Tuscan border and the surrounding military districts may not be garrisoned by more than two (2) million men by either side and may not hold more than 800 aircraft of all sizes by either party.
c) The Axis recognizes the right of the Alliance to commence fortress building in Libya. However, such fortresses shall not house more than 1 regiment of troops (2500 men) each and must be spaced at least 30 km apart. No more than 100.000 troops total may be stationed in Libya by the Alliance. The only exception to this limitation shall be the port of Tripoli, which may be garrisoned and fortified at will.
d) In return, the Axis promises not to protest the Creation of an Alliance African command and shall not interfere with the creation and maintenance of a Convoy system in the Indian Ocean.
(III) Military limits shall apply to active forces only. However, the movement of military reservists to those areas shall not be allowed if it is an attempt to circumvent this limitation.
(IV) With regards to the Balkan border, both sides may only station nonmotorized infantry forces in the agreed-upon area. No heavy artillery of any kind shall be permitted in the area except for the stationary artillery of border fortifications.


ARTICLE IV: MILITARY COMMISSION
(I) A commission composed of an equal number of officers of both nations shall adjucated any dispute regarding to the above-mentioned commitments. In the case of deadlock, the deciding vote shall fall to the United States ambassador to Berlin or to Constantinople according to seniority.
(II) The commission shall have one thousand (1000) inspectors each of the Alliance and of the Axis at its disposal. Those inspectors shall have the right to inspect any military establishment listed under Article IV (II) to ensure compliance by all nations.


ARTICLE V: REGARDING PREVIOUS TREATIES
(I) The United States of America shall be asked to mediate regarding claims of damages and reimbursement due to the cancellation of the treaties signed before between Alliance states and members of the Aegean Axis.
(II) The treaty regarding a Rhine-Danube canal shall remain in force. Alliance ships may continue to use the Suez canal. Axis travel through Gibraltar and through the Panama canal shall not be impeded in any way.


ARTICLE VI: REGARDING THE BRITISH EMPIRE
(I) The Alliance promises to commit to an attempt at reconciliation.
(II) Any territorial claims by the Alliance shall be resolved through mediation. No British territory shall be invaded, occupied or attacked by the alliance unless in response to a British war of aggression. In case of doubt the commission (Article V) shall investigate and deliver final judgement.
(III) British territory shall be defined as the territory and holdings of the British Empire at the date of January 1st, 1925 and any territory and holdings they might have acquired up to and including the time of the signing of this treaty.


ARTICLE VII: REGARDING THE SOVIET UNION
(I) Both the Alliance and the Axis acknowledge each others vested interest in the security and stability of the Soviet Union, which is one of the most important resource exporters to both the Alliance and the Axis.
(II) No signatory shall invade Soviet territory unless having been attacked first. In case of doubt the commission (Article V) shall investigate and deliver final judgement.
(III) Soviet territory shall be defined as the territory and holdings of the Soviet Union at the date of January 1st, 1925 and any territory and holdings they might have acquired up to and including the time of the signing of this treaty.


ARTICLE VIII: REGARDING THE ROYAL MARRIAGE
The Marriage treaty between the German Empire and the Egyptian Sultanate shall remain in force.


ARTICLE IX: FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
(I) The validity of this Treaty and the articles made herein shall not be modified nor influenced by any future development.
(II) In the case of a signatory state ceasing to exist, the successor state(s) shall take its place, with the same obligations and rights as the predecessor state.
(III) Shall any other state join either the Alliance and the Axis, the terms of this treaty shall apply to them as well.

Signed,
The Council of Portugal
Alain Dupont, President of the French Republic
Marian I, Queen of Spain etc.
Dr. mult. Johannes Sänger, Reichskanzler
Exarch Ignatius Korolev
Grand Vizier Ikrimah al-Jaffar
Ivo Kosor, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Watching as the Byzantine envoy followed suit after delivering a short speech, Sänger considered how long this ceremony and the ensuing banquet would take. Hopefully they will restrain themselves.

A few minutes after the signing, the demobilization process was started.


Berlin
Amtsgericht
January 5th, 1928

The judge of the lower court was about to finish proclaiming the sentence against Baron Ungern von Sternberg. "...it is hereby found that the accused is found guilty of the charge of Insult and Defamation. The accused is hereby fined 60 days of his income. He has the right to appeal to the Landgericht."



Results:
- Treaty of Rome signed, see above for the terms
- Spain announces it shall not pursue any claims during the course of the Vienna conference (and no, the conference itself is not about the Gibraltar or British business)
- All nations partaking in the Vienna conference vow not to start any wars or join any warring party for the course of the conference
- Wilhelm gets a message
- the Afghan spy is caught
- The Baron is found guilty of defamation and insulting Jewish German citizens.

[CmdrWilkens]

Headlines from Cuidad de Mexico

- Ministry of State announces formal withdraw of ultimatum to the Kingdom of Spain.
- Military stands down and reinstates all pending furloughs in time for the final weeks of harvest season, Ministry of the Interior reports "acceptable" harvest expected this year.
- New government calls for tri-party conference in regards to the current and future status of Baja and the various protectorates of the Caribbean.

[loomer]

Berlin, December 16th 1928
Mahoud had proven to be remarkably resilient to the psychological pressures exerted for the first day. He had said nothing about anything except his name and his work as a sailor. But he obviously had not been vetted properly, and was nowhere near as tricksome as he seemed. He cracked as the sun set.

"They said they had an arrangement with the Dutch to cover my entry!" He cried, burying his head in his hands. "The books are just instructions to try and make contact with them. They said they'd be waiting to get me out of sight!" The rest of his confession was remarkably dull - pleas for leniency, no real knowledge of any other agents except one entering through the Italian ports and one trying to come from the East over the roads. A radio station broadcasting from Afghanistan with coded instructions.

And then came one last offer. "I'll work with you!" The Afghani was either an idiot who took them for the same, or he was as mercantile as a man could ever be to change his side so willingly, even with the 'truth' shown to him by the skillful manipulations of his interrogators.

Lubmin, December 16th, 1928

Yeshua sighed loudly as he sat on his suit case and waited for the train. He had entered just a few hours earlier, as blatantly as Mahoud. Unlike Mahoud, he was here legally - as a student, as was his companion Ridha. They were from the University of Kabul and had been sent West to study physics and geology in what was considered one of the most civilized nations in the world by the Afghani's scholarly circuits.

The both of them wore Western styled clothing, though they hadn't quite mastered certain elements of it yet. In their cases was nothing but clothes, arabic texts, their korans, and personal effects. Their presence alone, especially with the other 'element' making such a noise of himself, would be suspicious enough. Time would have to dull the senses of the German's intelligence services and turn them to other ventures than two perfectly legitimate students at Greifswald.

Kabul, December 18th

"The ships have all made their docks, Minister."

"And the diversion?"

"As near as we can tell, he worked, but we can't be certain. Our brothers will have to wait."

[Lonestar]

Altdorf Times

"Serious" ceasefire in effect?
THE Lord Protector should be thanking the Germans, as their most recent chicanery has effectively brought silence to the border with the Shepistani Federation. Already enormous sums are being saved in munition expenditures, on both sides of the LOC. The Grand Dominion recognizes the results of the Treaty of Rome, and hthe Lord Protector is on record as saying "like any Bully, the Germans will back down once someone stands up to them. I hope the nations of the world remember this in the future."

First capital ships of 1925 program fitting out
THE Battleships Centurion, and Frydman are fitting out at the Altdorf naval yard, while the BCs Mercury and Pegasus are nearly finished fitting out at the Nuln Naval yard. The 4 vessels will add a potent strenght to the GDN battlefleet...

Grim predictions for the Whigs
While word on the colonial vote is yet to be determined, it now appears that it would take a miracle to prevent a Social Democrat-Labor Coalition from gaining control of the legislature. Analysts are saying that the strong showing of women voters have forced several dozen Whig MHs out of office, including several "professional" politicians with decades of incumbentcy under their belts...

[Thanas]

Vienna
Belvedere Palace
January 20th, 1928

The months of horsetrading, discussions, negotiations and all the other congressional duties had left their toll on everybody who had attended. In the end however it had paid all off and Sänger had never felt more proud in his life. The alliances that had been built, painstakingly and slowly, had proved sturdier than most people would have given them credit for and while it had been difficult getting all people to agree on a document, the end result spoke for itself.

Sure, there were drawbacks - Sänger would have preferred some aterations to some sections of the treaty, especially the technological assistance part. He also would have liked a reduction in what the treaty demanded of Germany - after all, from a total of eight nation, Germany alone would shoulder 25% of all costs - but the others had rightfully demanded that Germany, as the largest and most industrialized nation in the world, would pay more. There had also been some trouble getting Spain to agree on the Alliance not pursuing the claim to Gibraltar with force as well as having all nations agree to not pursuing any wars of aggression - a limitation that in practice made a war of aggression all but impossible.

And in the end, in Sänger's mind the additional expense and the loss of a bit of national sovereignty - namely said right to wage war whenever a nation wanted - was worth the security and enormous benefits the treaty would bring. All powers would benefit tremendously from this. For Germany, a solution to the resource problem and border security was easily worth trading in the right to wage war. Of course, the conservatives would see it a bit differently. However, with the success of the Treaty of Rome and the political monumentum from the recent election, they would be outnumbered.

Of course, now was not the time to dwell on such issues. Now was a time to celebrate and he had made sure that he was strong enough to deliver the speech he had written. Already, the press had lined up, with radio microphones making sure his speech would be transmitted live to the world.

"Your Majesties, Excellencies, Ambassadors, honored guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am pleased to announce that the second congress of Vienna has been a success beyond our collective imagination and that the nations of Gran Colombia, the Bolivarian Union, Tuscany, France, Chilatina, Spain, Portugal and Germany have come to a common understanding.

By signing this treaty, we shall step forward into a new age. A new age of cooperation, of prosperity and of peace.

In doing so, we shall not forget the past. This treaty would not have been possible without the work done by many politicians who instilled a level of trust between our nations and who built the individual alliances that formed the basis for the current treaty. For my nation of Germany, we shall not forget the contributions of Count Metternich, Prince von Baden and above all, the great Bismarck. But the common bound between our nations is much older than that and what better place to sign this treaty than Belvedere Palace, home of the Eugene of Savoy, who unlike any other symbolized European unity.

One might ask why we call ourselves the European Alliance. After all, what is a European? Does such a creature even exist?

The answers to that lies in our past. Indeed, this treaty is based on much more than simple national interests. It is based on our common heritage.

It was the Roman Empire, whose city is now ruled by the Kingdom of Tuscany, which first united us. It were the French knights who fought back the muslim threat and it was a franko-german emperor, Karolus magnus or Charlemagne, who first united most of us. It were the Italian and German bankers who financed the rise of Europe. It were the intrepid Portugese, Spanish and Dutch explorers who carried their flags to all corners of the globe. And without the Italian, Dutch and German thinkers, the renaissance and the reformation should have been impossible, whereas the new world, vibrant and fresh compared to the Old, was the reason for the flourishing of the great empires of the past 500 years.

Our heritage is not a happy one. From the day French and Saxon forces met at Verden, the history between France and Germany has always been one of bloodshed. Our great empire only exists due to a victorious war against France. Yet there has always been a mutual respect - Frederick the Great, for example, preferred speaking French to German and admired Voltaire. The same is true for every other nation assembled here.

Nor is our heritage contained to Europe alone. Our sisters and brothers in the new world are descendants of the nations of Portugal and Spain. As such, they share the same heritage we do and we are proud to call them part of the western world. We may not share the exact same characteristics, but there is no point denying the relation.

Ours is not a happy heritage, but it is a common one, one we shall treasure and defend.

Defence, however, does not mean aggression. We have agreed that wars of Aggression are, in our view, no longer a legitimate tool to expand one's own border. At the same time, there may come a point in our future where war is necessary. We have therefore decided that any war of aggression carried out by the alliance or an alliance member must be subject to approval from the entire alliance.

But more important than war is prosperity. Under the treaty, millions of people will have access to foreign goods previously unavailable to them. Technology sharing and infrastructure developments will ensure that together, our nations shall enter a golden age of prosperity and peace.

Prosperity, however, is worthless if one does not have the freedom to enjoy it. The nations of the alliance therefore commit to safeguard both individual and collective freedoms, drawing on the rich legal expertise of our constitutions.

I can safely say that this shall be the most enlightened and most modern alliance in the history of Mankind.

There are those who fear a lack of national identity. To them I say - fret not. This treaty shall not replace our nations, it shall enhance them. The treaty shall not make us all slave to a shadowy central committee. If, by some political process, the people shall decide to freely join into a stronger common bond, so be it. As it stands, however, the treaty shall not be construed or misrepresented as the beginning of a superstate.

The Alliance has many partners who are currently not part of the alliance. To each of them, we extend our hand in good faith. It also saddens me to see that some European nations are not sitting at this table. The proud vikings, the industrious British and the Polish crusaders are as much a part of our common history as any of us. We shall not rest in attempting reconciliation and we shall not waver in our determination to offer a friendly hand to our neighbours.

However, there are also those states who are jealous of our prosperity, those states who are a direct threat to our common security. To them we say: Fear us not. For we do not want war. Territorial differences can be solved via mediation and arbitration. All territorial claims member nations of the Alliance may have shall be solved not with the horror of war, but with the splendor of peace.

We shall present a determined defence of our territory. But this defence shall not be construed into plans for a war by those nations interested in bloodshed. Should any nation however attempt to capitalize on what mad tyrants will doubtfully call a weakness, I need not remind them that we are still nations with proud martial histories and a capacity for blood and iron never before seen in the history of this world.

We shall deter, but not provoke. We shall be allied, but not slavishly united. We shall not meddle, but we shall also not be deaf to cries of help.

More importantly, we shall never loose that characteristic which a great poet once put in words far more eloquent than mine could ever hope to be:

'that which we are, we are;
[....]strong in will,
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'

Ladies and Gentlemen, today we embark on a new age. The German Empire is proud to sign this treaty, the treaty for the formation of the European Alliance.

Vive L'Alliance."

Treaty regarding the formation of the European Alliance

PREAMBLE

His Imperial Majesty Wilhelm II., Emperor of GERMANY etc.,
Her Royal Majesty Marian I., Queen of SPAIN etc.,
His Excellency Alain Dupont, President of the FRENCH REPUBLIC,
His Royal Majesty Francesco I, King of TUSCANY etc.,
Their Excellencies, the Council of PORTUGAL,
His Excellency, President Morales of CHILATINA,
His Excellency, Arturo Ramos, Supreme Leader of GRAN COLOMBIA,
His Excellency, President de la Torre of the BOLIVARIAN UNION

in the presence of the honorable ambassadors of the nations of CHINA, BRAZIL, THE CONGO, KENYA, CISPLATINA, SWITZERLAND and CASCADIA, who, while not direct party to this treaty, have observed its formation and been consulted on,

have,

RESOLVED to mark a new stage in international cooperation,
RECALLING the specter of war looming over Europe and the horrors such a war would bring,
CONFIRMING their attachment to the principles of liberty, democracy and of the rule of law,
DESIRING to deepen the solidarity between their peoples while respecting their history, their culture and their traditions,
DESIRING to clarify the network of individual alliances between them,
DETERMINED to promote economic and social progress for their peoples,
RESOLVED to implement a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common foreign and security policy in order to promote peace, security and progress in Europe, South America and in the world,
REAFFIRMING their objective to facilitate the free movement of persons, while ensuring the safety and security of their peoples, by including provisions on justice and home affairs in this Treaty,
RESOlVED to secure the freedom of the seas and defend global trade,
HAVE DECIDED to establish this Alliance and to this end have designated as their plenipotentiaries:

• SECTION I: THE EUROPEAN ALLIANCE

ARTICLE I
(I) The European Alliance (henceforth called Alliance) shall be formed of full and associate members.
(III) Full members shall be bound by all provisions of this treaty. Associate members can opt out of any treaty section except Sections I. If they chose to do so, they loose their voting power with regards to the section in question as a whole.

ARTICLE II: CURRENT MEMBERS
(I) Full members of the Alliance are the nations of GERMANY, SPAIN, FRANCE, TUSCANY and PORTUGAL and all their territories.
(II) Associate members are the nations of CHILATINA, GRAN COLOMBIA and the BOLIVARIAN UNION.

ARTICLE III: THE COUNCIL
A permanent council shall be set up to discuss Alliance policy. This council shall be seated in the city of Brussels.

ARTICLE IV: VOTING
(I) One nation, one vote.
(II) Votes must be unanimous in the cases of:
a) Acceptance of new members
b) Wars of aggression
c) Any modifications to section I&II of this treaty
(III) All other issues shall be decided by a majority of votes. Abstention shall not be counted for the purpose of determining a majority.

ARTICLE V: OPT-OUTS
[The Bolivarian Union opts out of the Escort Navy due to lack of shipbuilding capacity. Chilatina and the Bolivarian Union opts out of the trade barriers due to fearing a swamping of their industry from European nations. Gran Colombia opts out of any possible commitments to a European or African defence, stating they are too occupied with the Mexican threat.]

SECTION II: THE STATUS OF THE CITIZEN

ARTICLE I: PERSONAL FREEDOMS
(I) All members recognize the rights of their citizens to individual freedoms as laid out by the constitutions of the member states, including but not limited to the Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen, the German constitution and

• . All members will take efforts to ensure their citizens can freely exercise these freedoms.
  (II) An alliance codex shall be prepared listing all freedoms guaranteed by the Alliance.
  
  ARTICLE II: DEMOCRACY
  All members recognize that Democracy, in whatever form, is a necessary step on the road to progress. No undemocratic state shall ever be a member of the Alliance.
  
  ARTICLE III: ADDITIONAL RIGHTS
  (I) In addition to the above-mentioned rights, every citizen of a member state shall have the right to move freely between member nations, to own and to sell property, to marry and to take part in commerce.
  (II) In cases of legal disputes arising between citizens of two different member states, the law of the state in which the dispute arose shall be the deciding one. Can this not be ascertained, the German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch shall be assumed to be the final authority on the subject.
  
  ARTICLE III: COMMISSION
  (I) An independent commission will be set up to review each nation annually and give appropriate recommendations. The seat of the commission shall be the City of Paris.
  (II) In case of dispute the Commission shall decide. The member states can overturn that verdict with a two-thirds majority.
  (III) The commission shall not overrule the decisions of the highest courts of the member states.
  
  
  SECTION III: ECONOMIC POLICIES
  ARTICLE I: TRADE BARRIERS
  All trade barriers between member states shall be abolished.
  
  ARTICLE II: EXPORT AND IMPORT
  (I) If possible and economically feasible, member states shall primarily purchase goods and resources from each other. Member states shall have the first right of refusal to any export.
  (II) This does not apply to the private sector.
  
  ARTICLE III: STOCK EXCHANGE
  A common stock exchange shall be created. It shall be situated in the city of Frankfurt.
  
  ARTICLE IIIa: CURRENCY EXCHANGE
  A bank tasked with overseeing the currency exchange shall be created. It shall be situated in the city of Rome.
  
  ARTICLE IV: COMMON SUPPORT
  All nations shall support each other in a time of crisis.
  
  ARTICLE V: ASSISTANCE
  Better developed nations shall give assistance to less-developed nations, the exact nature of which to be specified by additional treaties.
  
  ARTICLE VI: TRADE COURT
  A Trade court shall be set up to review each private and public complaint and to pass judgement. The seat of the Trade court shall be the City of Lisbon.
  
  
  SECTION IV: WAR AND PEACE
  ARTICLE I: PEACE
  The Alliance shall endeavor to promote the common peace.
  
  ARTICLE II: WAR
  (I) The Alliance shall not make any war of aggression without unanimous consent from all members.
  (II) An Attack upon any Alliance member is an attack upon all.
  
  
  SECTION V: FOREIGN NATIONS
  ARTICLE I: GENERAL PRINCIPLES
  (I) All treaties signed by individual members of the alliance shall remain in force, except if they are treaties directed against any member of the alliance.
  (II) The Alliances hopes for cordial and peaceful relations with all nations.
  (III) The right to humanitarian assistance shall not be curtailed by any provision of this treaty.
  
  ARTICLE II: THE AEGEAN AXIS AND SUDAN
  (I) The treaty concluded between the European members of the Alliance and the Aegean Axis and Sudan shall be valid between all members.
  (II) The Alliance hopes for a mutually profitable and cordial future relationship and shall take no steps to provoke the Axis.
  
  ARTICLE IV: CHINA
  (I) The Empire of China currently has a defensive alliance treaty with the nation of Germany. An attack upon China shall be regarded as an attack upon the alliance itself, though China is only obligated by the terms of the defensive alliance to respond in case Germany is attacked.
  (II) The Alliance promises all existing treaties with all Alliance nations shall be in force.
  (III) The German-Chinese program of cooperation shall continue.
  
  ARTICLE V: BRAZIL
  (I) The Alliance renounces all claims to Brazilian territory as null and void.
  (II) A non-aggression pact on behalf of the whole alliance shall be signed with Brazil.
  (III) All other treaties signed by individual members of the alliance shall remain in force, be they treaties of alliance, commerce or otherwise.
  (IV) Though Brazil is not a member of the alliance, trade barriers, especially on the import of Brazilian resources, shall be removed.
  (V) Brazil is guaranteed membership shall they choose to join the alliance in the future.
  
  ARTICLE VI: CISPLATINA
  (I) The alliance between Gran Colombia and Cisplatina shall remain in force, though it does not extend to other members of the Alliance.
  (II) Spain shall allow all citizens of Uruguay to chose between Cisplatinian and Spanish citizenship.
  (III) A non-aggression pact shall be signed with Cisplatina and trade barriers shall be removed according to a mutually-agreed list.
  (IV) Cisplatina is guaranteed membership shall they choose to join the alliance in the future.
  
  ARTICLE VII: THE EMPIRE OF MEXICO
  (I) Alliance funding for the canal project shall continue.
  (II) The Alliance is willing to renounce any claim to Mexican territory should Mexico agree to reciprocate.
  (III) The Alliance upholds the Spanish claim to Costa Rica as valid and shall oppose any steps to change the current status of Costa Rica with force. On the condition that Mexico renounces any such claims, the Alliance is willing to propose any agreement beginning with a non-aggression pact and including the offer of an alliance or a membership.
  (IV) Gran Colombia reserves the right to veto any future membership of the Mexican Empire, but consents to a non-aggression pact and a defensive alliance.
  
  
  ARTICLE VIII: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  (I) The USA-German agreement of 1925 shall, if the USA accepts, extended to cover the entirety of the Alliance.
  (II) The United States is guaranteed membership in the Alliance should they so chose.
  
  ARTICLE IX: THE REPUBLIC OF CASCADIA
  (I) Cascadia shall be offered an extension of the Cascadian-German basing agreement to all Alliance bases.
  (II) The Republic of Cascadia is guaranteed membership in the Alliance should they so chose.
  
  ARTICLE X: THE EMPIRE OF BRITAIN
  (I) The Alliance supports the Spanish claim to Gibraltar as valid. However, this claim shall not be enforced by anything other than diplomacy.
  (II) The Alliance states that it has no interest in holding British territory besides Gibraltar and will welcome any attempt at reconciliation.
  
  ARTICLE XI: THE POLISH-LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH
  (I) The Alliance supports the German claim to the disputed Polish territories. However, this claim shall not be enforced by anything other than diplomacy.
  (II) The Alliance states that it has no interest in holding Polish territory beyond those areas and shall make no move towards isolating or provoking the Commonwealth.
  (III) Provided the military dictatorship of Poland ends in favor of democracy and the territorial situation is resolved, the Alliance shall support any Polish membership claim.
  
  ARTICLE XII: THE NORDIC UNION
  (I) The Alliance renounces any claim towards Nordic Union territory, be it by the Alliance or any other nation, as false.
  (II) The Alliance welcomes the reconciliation attempt by the Nordic Union Government towards the German Empire and congratulates the Nordic Union Government for taking this course of action.
  (III) The Alliance shall support any Nordic Union membership bid if the Nordic Union renounces its claim on Finland.
  
  ARTICLE XIII: THE SOVIET UNION
  (I) The Non-aggression Pact and its provisions shall be extended to the whole of the Alliance.
  (II) The Alliance renounces any claim to Soviet Union territory and promises not to aid any attempt to reduce the Soviet Union.
  
  
  SECTION VI: COMMON DEFENCE
  ARTICLE I: PURPOSE
  (I) All members shall coordinate their common defence.
  (II) Members who have not reached the same status as the developed nations of Europe shall be allowed to spend less for defence than the European nations and rely more on European forces for defence.
  
  ARTICLE II: DEFENCE COUNCIL
  (I) A council for the common defence shall be set up. This shall coordinate the efforts of the armed forces of all member nations, though member states reserve the final right of command.
  (II) The council shall be set up in Brussels, in the joint command center already in existence.
  
  ARTICLE III: PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY
  (I) Certain members shall be given primary responsibility for the defence of certain areas of the Alliance borders.
  (II) Primary responsibility denotes that the nation in question shall be given the responsibility of assessing the threat and developing a strategy for the region. The nation in question shall have the duty of primarily financing the defence of the region in question, but may draw upon resources of other members.
  
  ARTICLE IV: AREAS OF PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY
  Areas of primary responsibility are:
  a) Land:
  - The Balkan border: Germany
  - The Polish/Nordic Union border: Germany
  - The Tuscan-Byzantine border: Tuscany
  - North Africa: France
  - Central Africa: Portugal
  - Central America: Gran Colombia
  - South America: Bolivian Union&Chilatina (joint)
  
  b) Sea:
  - The Mediterranean (sea): Tuscany
  - South Atlantic: Chilatina
  - The Caribbean: Spain
  - North Atlantic& Baltic: Germany
  - The Indian Ocean/Pacific: Germany
  
  SUBSECTION A: NAVAL AFFAIRS
  ARTICLE I: TRADE LANES
  (I) A Trade Lane Department (TLD) shall be be set up in Madrid. It shall be composed of all members and shall have the responsibility of drawing up plans to ensure safe passage in the time of war as well as securing resource supply.
  (II) In the time of war, the TLD shall, in concert with the individual navies, coordinate convoy escort and defence.
  
  ARTICLE II: JOINT MANEUVERS
  All members are encouraged to perform joint maneuvers.
  
  ARTICLE III: ESCORT NAVY
  (I) A common escort Navy shall be instituted.
  (I) The escort Navy shall have the responsibility of protecting the trade lanes.
  (III)Ships of that Navy will be financed and crewed by individual nations, but come under central command in the time of war.
  (IV) The flag of the escort Navy shall be a Silver Dolphin on blue. It shall be flown immediately below the national flag of any ship detailed to the escort Navy in peacetime, and above in wartime.
  
  [APPENDIX IV: Escort Navy
  The Escort Navy shall be comprised of no less than 1200 oceangoing vessels, with at least 400 being above 1000 tons and the less no smaller than 800 tons.
  The Escort navy shall be crewed and financed:
  GERMANY: 25%, the rest to be determined]
  
  ARTICLE IV: AUXILIARY NAVY
  (I) All nations shall built up their Auxiliary Navy to a level sufficient to support the combat Navies of all nations combined.
  (II) Military troop transports sufficient to ferry over 3 divisions of men to either the Americas or Europe shall be accumulated by the various nations.
  (III) Ships of that Navy will be financed and crewed by individual nations, but come under central command in the time of war.
  (IV) The flag of the Auxiliary Navy shall be a Bronze Dolphin on blue. It shall be flown immediately below the national flag of any ship detailed to the Auxiliary Navy in peacetime, and above in wartime.
  
  ARTICLE VI: COMMANDERS
  (I) Nations of primary responsibility have command in their respective areas in wartime. They are subject to a central Alliance High Command being established.
  (II) commanding officers of multi-national detachements shall be chosen to an agreed-upon roster. In case of one nation contributing more than 60% to the task force, that nation shall have the rights to name the task force commander.
  (III) In case of a Kaiserliche Marine detachment comprising the majority of the battleline, the commander of that detachment shall remain in command of the battleline
  
  ARTICLE VII: COMMAND SHIPS
  The flag of command ships of multinational detachments shall be a Golden Dolphin on blue. It shall be flown above the national flag at all times.
  
  
  SECTION VII: MISCELLANEOUS
  ARTICLE I: TECHNOLOGY SHARING
  All members of the Alliance shall share technology and take part in joint research projects.
  
  ARTICLE II: COMMON PROCUREMENT&STANDARDS
  (I) All members of the Alliance shall attempt to standardize their armies and their equipment as much as possible.
  (II) A yearly design competition shall be held between the members, though individual members shall not be forced to adapt technologies except in the cases of the Escort and the Auxilliary navies.
  (III) Communications shall be standardized and synchronized.
  
  ARTICLE III: HELP FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS
  (I) The European nations promise to help the developing member nations.
  (II) Irregardless of other individual offers of support, the German Empire hereby promises:
  - Assistance with infrastructure developments, especially in the case of railroads
  - Assistance with farming and in the chemical industries
  (III) The German Empire also promises to allow up to 2 million people in total per year to immigrate into Germany from the developing South American member states. This program shall end in the year 1935. No further commitment of Germany with regards to immigration shall be required.
  
  ARTICLE IV: GERMAN INDUSTRY
  (I) All member nations may purchase German weapons as if they were the German Government themselves. No export tax shall be levied against them.
  (II) All member nations may use German shipyards not in use by the German Government without extra charge.
  (III) The German Government reserves the right to change this policy at any time. In the time of war, exports may be confiscated by the German Empire for its own use.
  (IV) The Empire of China, while not a member state, shall be given the same rights.
  
  ARTICLE V: LAW
  All member states shall make an effort to reform their legal system to the standards set by the German and French legal system.
  
  ARTICLE VI: CULTURAL EXCHANGE
  (I) A cultural exchange program shall be set up.
  (II) A student exchange program, both for schools and universities, shall be set up.
  
  ARTICLE VII: THE CANAL BOARD
  The Alliance shall speak as a whole with regards to the Panama canal board.
  
  ARTICLE VIII: TERRITORIES
  (I) All members renounce their respective claims upon each other's territories as null and void.
  (II) Spain shall trade the island of Curacao to the German Empire. In response, Spain shall the right to build an independent Harbour city in the German possessions of China.
  
  ARTICLE IX: VALIDITY OF THE TREATY
  (I) The present treaty shall become valid immediately upon signature.
  (II) The treaty shall remain in force indefinitely.
  (III) Any nation may cease to be a member one year after notice has been given of the intention of withdrawal. In such a case, the member has to reimburse the other nations for their loss of investments.
  
  ARTICLE X: SANCTIO
  (I) In case of treaty violation, the offending member state has to pay for all damages related to the offense and pay a 20% penalty.
  (II) If any member state acts treacherously against the alliance, he shall be an enemy to all.
  
  
  Signed,
  Dr. mult. Sänger, Reichskanzler and plenipotentiary for his Imperial Majesty, Wilhelm II., Emperor of Germany etc.
  Marian I., Queen of Spain etc.,
  Alain Dupont, President of the French Republic
  Francesco I, King of Tuscany etc.,
  The Council of Portugal
  President Morales of Chilatina,
  Arturo Ramos, Supreme Leader of Gran Colombia,
  President de la Torre of the Bolivarian Union

Result:
- European Alliance is formed.

[Lonestar]

PORTLAND, CASCADIA

"Yes of course," Congressman Gandhi said "I have not forgotten the dream of a Free India, rest assured."

The three men, frontmen for the "FREE INDIA" charity nodded. The meeting was going on in the dining room of the Republic hotel, a upper-class restraunt that had in recent years expanded it's menu to include dishes palatable to Hindus. The leader of the group spoke: "So we can expect a continiouation of funds?" The windows rattled as the storm outside picked up speed.

"I just said so." Gandhi said, this time a bit more testily. "But we need to be more careful. These funds absolutely cannot be traced to being used for violent means, Cascadian law prohibits it. There are enough whites in the government here who would make hay of taxpayer monies going to a proper liberation force." Gandhi sighed. In fact the FREE INDIA charity was right there on the line, but had successfully presented itself as a humanitarian group. "That fool Bose...none of the money can go to him, do you understand? I am certain he was behind that act last year."

"We understand sir..." The man stopped as he glanced at the entrance of the VIP dining room. "What..."

A pair of white men wielding what were unmistakably either Dominion MP17s or Shepistani MP18s had burst in. Years of being a freedom fighter gave Gandhi enough of a survival instinct to duck. The other three men gaped stupidly as they were gunned down. Gandhi kneeled under the table, listening to the two men shouting in Dominion English. There was a loud crash with a "On the ground!" by someone in North American English, with two loud barks from a Cascadian service pistol.

"Congressman Gandhi?"

"I am here!" He was gratified to see Richard Christy from his security detail standing there. "Where is Bill?"

"Dead." Christy said grimly. "Come, we have to get you to safety."

"My family..."

"Portland PD is already on the way to your home. We have to get you to the capitol."

Christy escorted Gandhi out, his limo had already pulled up to the rear entrance. "Go! To the Capitol!" Christy shouted as he and Gandhi slid into the backseat. The driver gunned the engine, and the wheels squealed on the wet pavement.

"I did not think Fairfax would try this." Gandhi said bitterly. "He's as barbaric as his father was. Just as incompetent, though. He shouldn't have tried it unless he was sure it would work..."

"Sanjay, where are you going?" Christy stated abruptly. Gandhi noticed that they were heading Southeast...away from the Capitol. In fact they were headed towards his home.

"Sorry." Sanjay grunted. His voice had a harsh grating tone to it, and the Limo made a right hand turn...cutting across McDonald Park in apparently a giant U-turn.

"Sanjay, are you ill?" Gandhi asked, a deep sense of forboding landing on him. Christy was reading his service pistol. There was a flash of lightning, and after about a second the driver turned and shot Christy, timed with the thunder.

"You...you aren't." Gandhi almost said Human. The man was wearing a massive amount of makeup, but he could see horrible disfigurement underneath it...Sanjay had been burned by a DPS team in a slum in Calicut, and from the back seat the scarring had looked the same. This was worse. Much worse.

"Nope." The man leaned back with his right arm -Gandhi could have sworn he heard servos-, placed his hand around his neck, and snapped it. Wade sighed. He reached into his ruck sack and took out the special gasoline, splashing some of the goop on the corpses and around the limo. He stepped out into the pouring rain, and changed into simple fisherman clothes, throwing the uniform into the car. Sirens were heard in the distance. Wade shrugged, lit a waterproof, and threw it on the gasoline stains. He turned away, whistling a tune that was unheard of, anywhere, and jumped into the Columbia river, making his way across with ease dispite the rushing waters and pouring rain. As he clambered up the North side he could see Portland PD pulling up to the fiery wreck of Gandhi's limo.

Still singing the tune, he walked about 50 ft to a small parking area, hopped into his pickup, and drove away, cursing the primitive engine as it knocked.