Official declaration from the Kingdom of Greece
~ Georgios Theotokis, Prime Minister of Greece on the behalf of HM George, King of the Hellenes
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Official declaration from the Kingdom of Greece
GM Note: I am notifying @tyriet that he has four hours to come online and tell me of what he plans. After 10:30 pm EST tonight, the deadline will pass. I will have no remorse if I receive no information by that point.
EDIT: Extending to 6 am EST (12 noon in Germany!).
EDIT: Extending to 6 am EST (12 noon in Germany!).
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The Day the Strength of Men Failed
Europe at the end of January 1907 stood on the precipice of war. With conflict having already erupted between the Ottomans and the various Balkan states – including Austria-Hungary, whose declaration of war bode ill for Ottoman military fortunes – an entirely separate, and altogether more potentially disastrous, war exploded when, failing to acquiesce to Russian demands to stand down, Romania declared war on Bulgaria, citing the government's flouting of the Treaty of Odessa and claims that the Bulgarians had threatened to close down the Danube via the town of Silistra. The Russians, having openly proclaimed it would defend the territorial sovereignty of both nations in the negotiations, spared no time in following up on that promise and declaring war on Romania. When news of this reached the Wilhelmstraße, it caused a firestorm.
Wilhelm II ordered the full mobilization of the German military and instructed Chancellor von Boetticher to issue a direct ultimatum to St. Petersburg: to demobilize its military and sign a peace agreement with the Romanians or face a new war from their western neighbors. With just forty-eight hours to give an official reply to the ultimatum, the court of European diplomats almost exploded from the pressure. A German declaration of war on Russia would give the Russians the pretense to call upon the Dual Alliance, thereby dragging France in and forcing them to declare war on Germany. This, in turn, would trigger the provisions of the Triple Alliance, bringing Italy in on Germany's side. The majority of Europe could find itself at war in a matter of days.
“The Chain of Friendship”.
When the news landed on Prime Minister Rosebery's desk, 10 Downing Street almost fell into chaos. He immediately notified the ambassadors of the various involved countries that the Marquess of Lansdowne, as Foreign Secretary, would hold a joint conference to settle the issues between the aggrieved nations to avoid a general European war. The ambassadors gathered in Carlton Gardens in the late afternoon of 26 January, with the Marquess of Lansdowne and Sir Edward Grey, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs in Rosebery's ministry, leading the conference and representing the United Kingdom. The first night of the conference was tense as the Bulgarian ambassador gave a passionate defense of Bulgarian sovereignty and independence, only to be cut off by Count Paul Wolff Metternich, the German ambassador, and charged him and his country with “opportunism” for declaring war on the Ottomans just several days earlier. The room devolved into a chorus of shouting before Lansdowne ordered a brief break, where each ambassador quickly lined up in the telegraph office to communicate with their governments and receive new orders. The second session on 26 January lasted until just before midnight, when Lansdowne called for a second meeting of ambassadors at 8:30 the following morning.
The following day the conference continued. The Romanian ambassador insinuated that the British were revealing a hidden bias in favor of the Russo-Bulgarian alliance, causing the Marquess of Lansdowne to declare that the UK would support any agreement that maintained the peace, no matter its provisions. At that moment, the Foreign Secretary received a note that his son Henry, a veteran of the Second Boer War, had been taken to the hospital for unspecified reasons. He left the conference, leaving Sir Edward Grey in charge from that point forward. Sergey Sazonov reiterated the Russian commitment to Bulgarian sovereignty and accused the Romanians of attempting to make a land-grab so quickly after the Bulgarian declaration of war on Constantinople. The Romanians, in response, demanded that the Bulgarians give up control of the city of Silistra, as they “could not be trusted” with controlling such an important town on the shores of the Danube. As the day continued, the ambassadors dictated telegrams to their home countries with increasing haste and heightened urgency as it seemed the conference approached its climax. Despite the Romanian demands to give up Silistra, the Bulgarians stoutly refused. Count Metternich asked Sir Edward Grey to expel the Bulgarians unless they acquiesced to Romania's demands which, he was told, were also supported by the Italian foreign office, but Grey refused. This back-and-forth between Bulgaria and Romania persisted until 7:45 in the evening, when the Bulgarian ambassador folded: Silistra could gain total independence as a Free City, and have its independence guaranteed by both Sofia and Bucharest. Grey seemed strongly receptive to such a proposal, and, after passing several telegrams with King George and the Prime Minister, offered to put a member of the royal family on the throne of the Free City. But Romania refused once more.
At this point Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to the UK, spoke up: rather than create a Free City from Silistra, he proposed a new country entirely: that of Southern Dobrudja. While Sazonov and Grey criticized the plan as putting off a war for only “less than half a decade”, Count Metternich seemed quite taken with the proposal, and his support for it convinced the Romanian ambassador to accept it as well. Natural Bulgarian disapproval quickly killed it; a similar offer – to let Bulgaria retain Silistra while ceding the rest of Southern Dobrudja – was very similarly stabbed to death by Sazonov, Grey, and others.
Count Paul Wolff Metternich pushed hard to convince the Bulgarians to cede land to Romania to avoid war.
By the time it was close to midnight, the attending members were exhausted and rapidly running out of options. The Bulgarian and Romanian ambassadors seemed unable to come to any sort of agreement whatever. After a brief late-night dinner at one in the morning on 28 January – just hours before the German ultimatum was set to expire, and at which the Bulgarian and Romanian ambassadors ate at separate tables – Sir Edward Grey, having overseen the conference for most of the day, said to the men before him, “Gentlemen, I believe it accurate to say that the immense wall between us and peace has reached a height too great to reach over.” The room was silent for several minutes straight. One by one, the ambassadors filed out of the room, exhausted and sullen. Grey turned to an assistant and said, as he looked out the window to the many street lamps below, “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”
Europe was going to war.
À les francaises:
Aujour d'hui, c'est un jour du sort pour toute le françaises. C'est un jour du avancer, du honorer notre paroles. Les allemandes, d'une guerre entre les ottomaines, et les autriches, ils ons faite une guerre contre la russie. Notres amis, notre allié. Je dis á les allemandes: Notre alliance avec les russiens, il se tient.
Dans cette heure, j'ai instrué le cabinet de la Republique Francaise, a commencer la mobilisation generale. C'est la guerre.
Today is a day of choice, for all the french. Today is a day to advance, to honor our statements. The Germans, out of a war between the Ottomans, and the Austrians, have made a war against Russia. Our friends, our ally. I told the Germans, our alliance with Russia, it stands.
In this hour, i have instructed the government of the French Republic to begin general mobilization. It is war.
President of the Council of Ministers Émile Justin Louis Combes
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"As we are pledged to do by our word of honor, this attack upon our ally by the French Republic will be met. The government of the Kingdom of Italy is issuing a declaration of war upon the French and their Russian allies. As a result of this new situation we as well declare a full mobilization of the Kingdoms forces. We do not take this step intending to act as conquerors but as defenders. We pledge to respect the rights of neutrals but we will seek whatever other means are required against our foes for a quick end of this war. It is our firm hope that the sheer realization of the miscalculation of the situation by some will lead to renewed talks shortly. What appears to be a loose grip upon reality by some in the Balkans has plunged much of europe into war. Regardless of the spark though, it is the duty of the Kingdom to defend its allies when the situation calls for it."
~King Umberto
~King Umberto
The Ottoman Empire
Devlet-i Aliyye-i Osmâniyye
The autonomous Cretan state has long yearned to unite with Greece, and their patience and dignity during the past years has been noted. In spite of large internal changes and reforms in the Ottoman Empire, they have been loyal and sensible in their conduct. The recent positive surge in Ottoman-Greek relations has also allowed our two states to normalise our relations since the 1897 war and given us a chance to peacefully reconcile our differences. This process shall start by seeing Crete united with Greece, but we are certain that our relations will only grow closer over time as we can look towards a brighter future of understanding and harmony between our realms. Justice, peace, and stability will allow us to experience mutual peace even as the rest of Europe clamors for war.
We hope that the nations of Europe will respect this process and avoid interference.
Leaflets start spreading throughout the Ottoman Empire, condemning the Bulgarian government for its part in facilitating war.
The Five Grievances
The Principality of Bulgaria has repeatedly been caught actively sabotaging Ottoman-Bulgarian relations throughout the years, both overtly and covertly. Their plans for destabilizing the Ottoman Empire, and with it the stability of the whole region, have been a long-term process of undermining trust in international agreements and in state administration. It is paramount that all know how this Principality of rogues and knaves has acted, and understand why we must defend ourselves! Therefore, we shall henceforth present the five greatest grievances that we have with the Principality of Bulgaria:
1. Bulgarian terrorism in Macedonia. The troubles in the Vilayets in Macedonia have not been because of internal dissent, as Bulgarian fake news might have reported, but rather because of state-run and state-sponsored terrorism with very clear origins in Bulgaria. By hiring criminals, anarchists, mercenaries, and other scum of the earth, and then exporting these to Macedonia with a weapon in hand and a vile purpose in mind, they have tried to create the kind of chaos and anarchy that might validate an intervention. This failed thanks to the wise efforts of the Ottoman government who intercepted these agents of evil and had them returned to where they came from. But do not let your guard down: The Bulgarian government will not shy away from using these dishonest techniques to secure their limitless ambitions.
2. Bulgarian oppression of Muslims and minorities. Not content with limiting their evil ways to actions outside their borders, the Bulgarian government has also created a reign of terror inside their country. Those who are not deemed "Bulgarian enough" are put on a list, stalked by the secret service, and eventually imprisoned without the right of a trial. That is assuming that they are not lynched by their neighbors for having an accent. This kind of treatment is extended to all minorities: Greeks, Romanians, Muslims. Religion is not what matters to the Bulgarian purity project, since Christians face the same discrimination as Muslims. Every part of Bulgarian society contains these kinds of injustices that complicate the life of honest citizens: "True Bulgarians" are prioritized for education and Muslims are mistreated in the army, just to name a few instances of this kind of mistreatment. This is in spite of Ottoman attempts to alleviate the suffering of Muslim citizens through the legal channels granted via international agreements.
3. Warmongering and demagoguery. Unwilling to understand the benefits of peace and prosperity, the Bulgarian government has egged on their citizens to seek war with their neighbors. Romania, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire: We are all potential targets for the whims of the Bulgarian government. By implementing and expanding conscription laws, they only escalated the tensions in the Balkans and created the circumstances that allow for today's war. Their belief that they are in a "crusade for the Bulgar people" is just another way that ordinary people are being manipulated to accept and support unjust wars. Today they fight to destroy the Ottoman Empire, tomorrow they will mutilate Romania, and finally they will finish their disputes with Serbia: Such are the ambitions of the Bulgarian Principality.
4. International manipulation and illegal, secret, treaties. Unable to fulfill their vile designs on their own, the Bulgarian government has attempted to seek aid from far-away powers by manipulating them. When many European powers agreed to deescalate the Balkans by limiting the sale of arms, the Principality was negotiating a secret agreement that would arm their entire army. When offered to buy warships, the Bulgarian Principality demanded that these be transported through the Straits of Bosporus with a large naval escort: In violation of international agreements. By tugging the heartstrings of well-meaning romantics, the Principality managed to sell their story of an "oppressed" people to some parts of Europe in spite of their complete lack of any kind of basis in reality.
5. Their unjustifiable and opportunistic declaration of war. Finally, we come to this concluding point. The Bulgarian fortress of lies all builds up to this sad decision, their desperate need to justify a war reaches a crescendo as they opportunistically hope to oppress more innocent subjects by declaring war on the Ottoman Empire as it is negotiating with the Austrian ambassador. Their justification? That a party that is not in power is oppressing and massacring minorities. Such lies only reveal the moral bankruptcy of the Bulgarian government, and also their complete lack of understanding for Ottoman politics. No, this is a naked attempt to seize land and power. It shall be resisted, and it shall be defeated.
Now you, citizen, can see for yourself why we must fight. For who would we be if we let these unjust practices go unpunished?
The Five Grievances
The Principality of Bulgaria has repeatedly been caught actively sabotaging Ottoman-Bulgarian relations throughout the years, both overtly and covertly. Their plans for destabilizing the Ottoman Empire, and with it the stability of the whole region, have been a long-term process of undermining trust in international agreements and in state administration. It is paramount that all know how this Principality of rogues and knaves has acted, and understand why we must defend ourselves! Therefore, we shall henceforth present the five greatest grievances that we have with the Principality of Bulgaria:
1. Bulgarian terrorism in Macedonia. The troubles in the Vilayets in Macedonia have not been because of internal dissent, as Bulgarian fake news might have reported, but rather because of state-run and state-sponsored terrorism with very clear origins in Bulgaria. By hiring criminals, anarchists, mercenaries, and other scum of the earth, and then exporting these to Macedonia with a weapon in hand and a vile purpose in mind, they have tried to create the kind of chaos and anarchy that might validate an intervention. This failed thanks to the wise efforts of the Ottoman government who intercepted these agents of evil and had them returned to where they came from. But do not let your guard down: The Bulgarian government will not shy away from using these dishonest techniques to secure their limitless ambitions.
2. Bulgarian oppression of Muslims and minorities. Not content with limiting their evil ways to actions outside their borders, the Bulgarian government has also created a reign of terror inside their country. Those who are not deemed "Bulgarian enough" are put on a list, stalked by the secret service, and eventually imprisoned without the right of a trial. That is assuming that they are not lynched by their neighbors for having an accent. This kind of treatment is extended to all minorities: Greeks, Romanians, Muslims. Religion is not what matters to the Bulgarian purity project, since Christians face the same discrimination as Muslims. Every part of Bulgarian society contains these kinds of injustices that complicate the life of honest citizens: "True Bulgarians" are prioritized for education and Muslims are mistreated in the army, just to name a few instances of this kind of mistreatment. This is in spite of Ottoman attempts to alleviate the suffering of Muslim citizens through the legal channels granted via international agreements.
3. Warmongering and demagoguery. Unwilling to understand the benefits of peace and prosperity, the Bulgarian government has egged on their citizens to seek war with their neighbors. Romania, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire: We are all potential targets for the whims of the Bulgarian government. By implementing and expanding conscription laws, they only escalated the tensions in the Balkans and created the circumstances that allow for today's war. Their belief that they are in a "crusade for the Bulgar people" is just another way that ordinary people are being manipulated to accept and support unjust wars. Today they fight to destroy the Ottoman Empire, tomorrow they will mutilate Romania, and finally they will finish their disputes with Serbia: Such are the ambitions of the Bulgarian Principality.
4. International manipulation and illegal, secret, treaties. Unable to fulfill their vile designs on their own, the Bulgarian government has attempted to seek aid from far-away powers by manipulating them. When many European powers agreed to deescalate the Balkans by limiting the sale of arms, the Principality was negotiating a secret agreement that would arm their entire army. When offered to buy warships, the Bulgarian Principality demanded that these be transported through the Straits of Bosporus with a large naval escort: In violation of international agreements. By tugging the heartstrings of well-meaning romantics, the Principality managed to sell their story of an "oppressed" people to some parts of Europe in spite of their complete lack of any kind of basis in reality.
5. Their unjustifiable and opportunistic declaration of war. Finally, we come to this concluding point. The Bulgarian fortress of lies all builds up to this sad decision, their desperate need to justify a war reaches a crescendo as they opportunistically hope to oppress more innocent subjects by declaring war on the Ottoman Empire as it is negotiating with the Austrian ambassador. Their justification? That a party that is not in power is oppressing and massacring minorities. Such lies only reveal the moral bankruptcy of the Bulgarian government, and also their complete lack of understanding for Ottoman politics. No, this is a naked attempt to seize land and power. It shall be resisted, and it shall be defeated.
Now you, citizen, can see for yourself why we must fight. For who would we be if we let these unjust practices go unpunished?
Some Damned Foolish Thing in the Balkans
At the Congress of Berlin in the summer of 1878, Chancellor Prince Otto von Bismarck of Germany said that, if war were to spring up in Europe, it would be sparked by “some damned foolish thing in the Balkans”. He was right – two wars broke out, within just days of one another, in the Balkans, and soon spread across most of Europe.
The Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on the Ottomans was quickly followed by declarations of war from Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro. While the latter two fully mobilized their populations and economies, Serbia committed itself to only a partial mobilization, and Franz Josef ordered a partial mobilization only in Transleithania. The Ottomans responded in kind with a proclamation of full mobilization, with Field Marshal Edhem Pasha, hero of the Young Turk Revolution of 1900 and ranking field officer in the Imperial Army, preparing a massive shift of Ottoman troops to its European territories, doubling down on their defense of the region. Hungarian Lieutenant General Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza led several divisions of Honved soldiers across the border into Novi Pazar, and met little resistance except from the Ottoman 16th Division; Kövessháza, busy with occupying the region, left the job of expelling the division to nearby Serbian troops, as the Montenegrins were too busy making their way into Albania. Lieutenant General Stepa Stepanović suffered heavy casualties in his attempts to defeat the 16th Division, and was only able to do so after he was supplied with reinforcements from Field Marshal Radomir Putkin, who was busy fighting further south near Vranje. [Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Germany, Italy, France, and Ottomans fully mobilized, Serbia and Hungary partially mobilized, -286 soldiers to Austria-Hungary, -773 soldiers to Serbia, -488 soldiers to Ottomans, +7% political support to Serbia, +3% political support to Romania, +10% political support to Ottomans, +8% political support to France, +1% political support to Bulgaria, +11% political support to Austria-Hungary]
Field Marshal Edhem Pasha, directly responsible for the Ottoman war effort against the Balkan nations.
As the Balkan nations proceeded with their mobilization, fighting across the region rapidly intensified as more troops and resources were committed to the fight. Field Marshal Putnik ordered Major General Petar Bojović to push directly south and take the town of Pristina. As Putnik shifted further east, closer to the Bulgarian border, Bojović made decent progress until 20 February when he encountered fierce resistance from advance troops under General Mahmud Shevket Pasha – an influential supporter of the continuing Imperial Army reforms – at the town of Lluzhan. Serbian soldiers would struggle here until late April, after Bojović was killed by an artillery shell and replaced by Lieutenant General Božidar Janković (who was also reinforced with another fresh division). Shevket Pasha, despite putting up a spirited fight, was struggling with logistics, particularly supplies of artillery shells, and withdrew from the town on 23 April. After evacuating Pristina of all valuable war materiel, he put the city to the torch – a hugely controversial decision, but one which hurt the Serbs. Stuck in poor weather (one freak snowstorm and subsequent heavy rainstorms and flooding) and hostile terrain as they advanced deeper into enemy lines, Field Marshal Putnik was forced to slow his advance to a snail's pace – all to the benefit of the Ottoman war effort, of course. [-6,893 soldiers to Serbia, -4,645 soldiers to Ottomans]
The Bulgarians, besieged from the north as well as the south, were forced to split their military resources between the Romanians and Turks. The 4th Corps under Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev was tasked with striking south with haste and taking the city of Edirne, threatening Ottoman lines of supply and communication with its western Balkan provinces, as well as the imperial capital itself. They were met by the full strength of the five elite German-trained-and-equipped divisions of the Imperial Army under the command of the young and inexperienced Mahmud Muhtar Pasha, son of the much-loved general and administrator Ahmed Muhtar Pasha. Kutinchev's offensive was blunted and halted in its tracks by Muhtar Pasha's crack soldiers, who quickly drove the Bulgarians back further north, thus securing Edirne. On 4 March Muhtar Pasha launched his own counteroffensive, which met with initial success before he reached the Bulgarian border itself, where resistance stiffened considerably. As Bulgarian mobilization efforts ticked up, even the elite troops of Muhtar Pasha's corps found it virtually impossible to gain any ground. For a brief period in late March the Turks managed to displace Bulgarian defenders from Plovdiv, striking fear into the hearts of the inhabitants of Sofia – were they next? A concerted effort by Generals Ivan Fichev and Kutinchev threatened to surround the city, forcing Muhtar Pasha, not willing to risk the Ottoman Empire's best soldiers, to withdraw from the city. Casualties among the elite troops were heavy, but their strength was quickly bolstered by the fast-arriving conscripts from throughout the Empire. By late June, the frontlines along the Bulgarian-Ottoman border had stabilized subsequent to a series of smaller battles and probing actions. At that time, Field Marshal Edhem Pasha promoted Nazim Pasha to the command of the elite corps of infantry in Rumelia, granting Muhtar Pasha command over the fast-growing number of conscripts in the area that stood by the regular soldiers' side. [-15,934 soldiers to Bulgaria, -12,373 soldiers to Ottomans]
Bulgarian troops storming Ottoman positions in the campaign to retake Plovdiv; specifically depicts the Battle of Asenovgrad, 30 March 1907.
Last-minute efforts to hasten the time required to train Romanian soldiers fell flat, as it was deemed too risky to potentially sacrifice the quality of soldiers drafted to fight. Both Romania and Bulgaria were hemmed in to the north and south by enemies, and thus were desperate to maintain control of their own sovereign territory, much less capture the territory of the enemy. Romanian cavalry stormed across various bridges on the Danube, overpowering local Bulgarian garrisons and quickly capturing the now-infamous city of Silistra for themselves.General Alexandru Averescu forced his troops further south, directly threatening Varna, but found himself up against the extremely determined regular infantry and conscripts of Lieutenant General Georgi Todorov, whose mission it was to defend Varna at all costs and expel the Romanians from Southern Dobrudja. Aware that the small Bulgarian Navy was blockading Constanta, Averescu's objective of capturing Varna became all the more important. Weather and terrain prevented any major battles until late March, when swords clashed just south of Albena along the coast. Bulgarian casualties were heavy, but the outmatched Romanian troops were forced back; Averescu turned further west, in an attempt to wheel around and strike Varna from the flank, but was again stopped near the town of Chernevo. As the threat from Russia became more severe (and thus more conscripts were deployed in the north rather than in the south), Averescu found himself up against an increasingly numerically superior enemy. Three bloody battles were fought outside the gates of Dobrich, as he was continually pushed back, in late April and throughout May. Todorov pressed home, forcing the Romanians to give up most of the ground they had gained in Southern Dobrudja, though Bulgarian casualties remained disproportionately high. By the first day of July the Romanians had been driven back to just Silistra and the surrounding area. [-19,739 soldiers to Bulgaria, -7,374 soldiers to Romania, +3% political support to Bulgaria]
Meanwhile in the north, Romanian mountain troops close to the border were the first to come into contact with the invading armies of Russia. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, these soldiers, cut off from any nearby assistance, held their own in defending the road to the city of Iasi, and gave a remarkably good account of themselves considering the circumstances, but in the end did not last very long. Iasi fell amid a flurry of snow on 8 February, and despite several attempts later on by mobilized Romanian soldiers, it remained in Russian hands. The 6th, 8th, and 34th Infantry Divisions constructed a line of fortifications, dubbed the “Carol Line”, along the banks of the Danube in Northern Dobrudja, which ultimately caused the Russians heavy casualties in several frontal assaults. In early March Tsar Nicholas himself, frustrated by the Imperial Army's inability to crush Romania outright, appointed General of the Cavalry Alexei Brusilov commander of the regional cavalry corps, hoping the aspiring general could find his way around the Romanian lines. With General Vladimir Viktorovich Sakharov attempting to bleed the Romanians dry in several direct assaults on Odobesti and Foscani, Brusilov found his own way by punching a hole in the Romanian lines west of Galati in a heated battle from 4 – 7 June. From there, he rode south, and then turned east, pushing aside what little resistance was in his way. He was only about twelve miles southwest from Tulcea on 30 June, meaning he was directly threatening a total encirclement of the Carol Line, and a good portion of the regular Romanian Army. General Ioan Culcer, the commander of the Carol Line, immediately requested assistance from General Constantin Prezan, leader of the 3rd Army further to the west (and then under siege by repeated attacks from Sakharov's 15th and 18th Armies). Outnumbered on both fronts, Romania would require nothing short of a miracle to snatch a brilliant victory from the jaws of defeat. [-65,584 soldiers to Romania, -76,388 soldiers to Russia, -4% political support to Romania]
A dead Romanian soldier “looks on” as Brusilov's cavalry trot by during the June Offensive.
As thousands of Slavs and Turks fought and died in southeastern Europe, the proud Emperor Wilhelm II oversaw the first steps of mobilization. The German Empire's ability to fully mobilize in preparation for large-scale warfare was truly unmatched anywhere else in the world; this could be seen just several weeks after the call to arms, as dozens of new divisions had been mobilized, with hundreds of thousands of more soldiers waiting in line at recruitment centers, eager to join up, serve the fatherland, fight a few battles, earn a medal or two, and return home. Before any major fighting had begun, Wilhelm, giving a speech in the bitter cold to soldiers in Berlin (and over the radio to the entire Empire), had promised that his soldiers would “be home before the leaves fall from the trees”. In a few short weeks, he had already regretted the statement.
Field Marshal Alexei Kuropatkin, while having pushed through notable and helpful reforms in the Imperial Russian Army, had been unable to reform and modernize Russia's mobilization process in time before conflict had broken out. Aware of the potential disadvantage this left him at, he organized a general withdrawal along the German front, giving up bits of land to buy the Imperial Army time to organize, deploy, and properly prepare for battle. Wilhelm II, against the repeated advice of his advisors, appointed Paul von Hindenburg Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East, putting under him all troops that were to fight against the Russians. As the Schlieffen Plan – a plan to violate Belgian sovereignty in an attempt to surround the French army, while keeping the Russians at bay – was scrapped due to changing geopolitical circumstances, a significant portion of the German Army was shifted east. General Maximilian von Prittwitz' 8th Army won an early, if insignificant, victory against General Konstantin Smirnov (the same Smirnov of Port Arthur fame) at Augustovo on 9 February. As more German troops were railroaded east and men of the 2nd and 8th Armies made their first advances into the Russian Empire, they suffered greatly at the hands of the biting cold and furious snowstorms. As the advance was made further, with Russian troops fighting delaying actions under Kuropatkin's orders in order to make it to the designated defensive lines in time, German logistics and supply lines struggled to keep up in the uncooperative weather. Stories of men struggling and failing to get winter coats and subsequently getting hypothermia or even dying funneled through to the Stadtschloss in Berlin, embarassing and enraging the Emperor. Things were not going well for the Russians, either; General Karl von Bülow of the 2nd Army dealt a decisive defeat to General Paul von Rennenkampf's 1st Army at Mlava on 17 February. As suspected to the Germans, it became clear that Warsaw would be the focus of the new Russian defensive line, and Chief of the General Staff Helmuth von Moltke ordered Field Marshal von Hindenburg to capture the city whatever the cost. As winter melted into spring, the dried earth became wet with the ice thaw, and the mud did little to assist the German advance. With the German offensive behind schedule, Kuropatkin was able to continue bringing newly-mobilized divisions to the front to bolster his lines. Rennenkampf suffered a second defeat at Ostrolenka on 28 March and was nearly relieved of command before the Tsar intervened on his behalf. General Max von Fabeck and his 6th Army, with assistance from Bülow to the east, engaged three separate Russian armies over the course of two weeks outside the town of Kutno, which ended up being a tactical Russian victory, but left the defenders in such a poor strategic position that they were forced to withdraw just four days later. As the Germans began to take their first slices of Russian land, an expeditionary force of some 70,000 Italian soldiers, under the command of the Duke of Aosta, arrived by rail, having traveled through Austria-Hungary to help their German allies fight the Russians. [-183,500 soldiers to Germany, -244,067 soldiers to Russia]
Russian cavalry charge a German position at the bloody and epic Battle of Kutno.
It was first on the Eastern Front of the war that the Germans employed a new weapon: the airship. Half a dozen “Zeppelins” were put into the service of the Imperial Army as scouts, providing vital information on Russian defenses in certain areas. While vulnerable to gunfire and especially artillery, they proved that modern aviation technology had a place in modern warfare. General Hindenburg had several of these Zeppelins equipped with small stocks of light bombs, which were dropped down onto Russian positions below. While the material effect was certainly insignificant, it struck fear into the Russians that had to deal with large airships floating overhead, while also sparking the imagination of many other German engineers and aeronautics experts about the other potential applications of aerial technology in warfare. [+8 Zeppelins to Germany]
As the mud began to dry and the burden of travel eased, the German Army picked up the pace. The 2nd and 6th Armies continued to pressure Warsaw from the north and west, while Prittwitz' 8th Army threatened an excursion into greater Lithuania; the latter was soon contained after two successive stalemates at Kowno and Rossieny one week apart in mid-May against the Russian 2nd Army under Aleksandr Samsonov. Two concerted pushes were made for Warsaw in June, one from the northeast and the other from the southwest, but ended as bloody campaigns that devastated the earth with shell craters, poisoned water supplies with the diseased corpses of both armies, and took the lives of many innocent men, women, and children. The advantages the Germans gained from the improved weather and condition of the roads served only to hurt the Russians, despite their increasing preparedness and continued strengthening of the frontline. [-195,478 soldiers to Germany, -274,332 soldiers to Russia]
On the Western Front, however, things were much different. Little fighting at all occurred from late January to mid-March. As Germany was clearly concentrating on defeating Russia before taking on France, there were fewer German soldiers here; however, the French refused to launch any sort of offensive until 16 May, after several minor skirmishes and artillery duels. A limited offensive conducted under the watchful eye of Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre was spearheaded by XX Corps under Lieutenant General Ferdinand Foch. Foch's shockingly aggressive tactics caught Prince Leopold of Bavaria – a Field Marshal in command of the 3rd Army and with nominal control over all troops in the West – by surprise, and it wasn't until 23 May that a counterattack could be launched. Foch had taken Avricourt in what surmounted to an embarrassing rout of German troops, and after taking Saargemünd turned northwest, intent on surrounding German forces in Metz. Prince Leopold responded on that day with a counterattack from the east led by General Erich von Falkenhayn, commanding the entire 5th Army in a desperate bid to surround the French XX Corps and crush the offensive in a few days' time. General de Castelnau, commanding the rest of the 2nd Army (of which XX Corps was a part), struggled in vain to keep the line steady, but continued to give ground in the face of overwhelming numbers. With only limited resources and manpower committed to the offensive to begin with, it seemed as if an entire corps (or even an entire army) was about to be annihilated. Joffre refused to commit another army to the fight to save Castelnau from his increasingly poor position, and on 29 May he cabled the Commander-in-Chief that “if I am not relieved immediately, I will be forced remove my army's ability to fight and therefore effect its destruction”. The following day, Lieutenant General Foch, who had been furiously launching attacks on German positions east of Metz for days, turned back around to the southeast, striking Falkenhayn's right flank. The subsequent Battle of Saint-Avold was hailed in Paris as “the greatest feat of arms in one-hundred years”; Foch's timely arrival to save his embattled superior caught Falkenhayn off guard and forced him to end his attack early, buying the two Frenchmen time to gather their belongings and head back south through the corridor they had created. In all, the French had given up all the ground they had gained, and tens of thousands lay dead on both sides. [-102,747 soldiers to France, -111,399 soldiers to Germany]
Men of Falkenhayn's 5th Army attacking de Castelnau's 2nd Army on 29 May, the most desperate day of fighting.
At sea, a different story was recounted in the papers. The French government deemed the Italian Regia Marina a greater threat to France than the German Kaiserliche Marine, and therefore gave the go-ahead to shift the majority of the Atlantic Fleet – including all of its capital ships – to the Mediterranean. This had a two-fold effect: it gave the High Seas Fleet virtual sea control in the North Sea and the Channel; and it put immense pressure on the Italian admiralty to avoid all possible battles with the larger and overall better French Navy. Still, as both French and Italian troops fortified their side of the border south of the Alps, an Italian expedition was being prepared. Several divisions were loaded onto merchant ships and, with protection from the majority of the Regia Marina (and with submarines scouting ahead to report back on the presence of French warships), sailed for the island of Corsica. Admiral François Fournier, commander of the now-reinforced Mediterranean Fleet, caught wind of the planned invasion of Napoleon's birthplace, but was unaware of when it would occur. He ordered submarines to set sail and scour the sea for the Italian landing force. Italian Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel came within visual range of the town of Bastia at 0700 hours on 7 April, at just several moments later lost a light cruiser to one of Fournier's submarine scouts; it was quickly sunk afterward. The invasion commenced two hours later; two cruisers and a handful of smaller ships in the harbor were scuttled as Italian troops were fired upon on the beaches. Other Italian trops came across the strait from Sardinia, taking Porto-Vecchio in a matter of days and threatening Ajaccio by the end of the week. By the end of May, French resistance on the island had been snuffed out, and it was fully occupied by the Italians. [Corsica fully occupied, -2 light cruisers to France, -4 destroyers to France, -1 submarine to France, -1 light cruiser to Italy, -15,673 soldiers to France, -9,838 soldiers to Italy, +2% political support to Italy, -4% political support to France]
Enraged at being duped with the loss of Corsica, Admiral Fournier organized a naval counteroffensive. The Mediterranean Fleet sailed for Corsica and found a portion of the Italian fleet stationed in the largely-undamaged harbor of Ajaccio. A nighttime raid by destroyers and submarines caused some damage to the Italians, enough for them to vacate the island entirely of major surface vessels; the rest of the Regia Marina returned to Italy proper. [-1 armored cruiser, -1 destroyer to Italy]
Fighting between the Italians and French continued on the continent of Africa. Italian troops in Eritrea launched an offensive into Djibouti, and within two weeks had the port under siege and the rest of the region under occupation. However, the defenders seemed well-stocked, and after a brief week of “siege” (the city was supplied via sea) the italians were ousted and pushed back to the pre-war border. An assault into Italian Libya led almost entirely by conscripts won for France the city of Tripoli. However, as the days wore on, the Italian soldiers deployed to the country years ago to put down the Senussi revolt arrived by traveling along the Libyan coastline. Combat was evasive most of the time, with most time and energy spent on maneuvers of deception in the desert heat and dust. By June little had happened and Tripoli had been retaken without much of a fight, with the French only controlling a small slice of Italian Libya. [-283 soldiers to France, -366 soldiers to Italy]
The frontlines of Europe, 30 June 1907.
Kingdom of Italy
Citizens of the Kingdom of Italy, I am humbled before the sacrifice shown by our soldiers and the honor the army and navy have earned for themselves. This war was started by other nations over reasons that fail to make any impact on our lives. The land is far from here, the impact to european stability and the balance of power in the world barely above zero. I say this not to make light of the initial cause of this conflict, I say it to show that though we may feel their reasons foolish, others do not. Alliances are dangerous but they are also a shield against chaos and collapse.
Our duty to defend the German nation and its people against attack is the stated reason for our war. While that may hold true, its too simple to hold as a justification. An alliance is basically an agreement and agreements are broken in untold numbers across the world every day. No, what we are fighting for is to show the world we exist as a people, we are highly worthy as a people and we are honorable as a people. We show the world our own importance and power as a kingdom through our ability to impact a war of this nature on a stage of this size.
Far less than a century ago Italy as a place and people were scattered and without security. This situation prevented the average citizen calling himself Italian from reaching the greatness he knows he is capable of. This long-term lack of unity made us into pawns of others, simply tools to be used and discarded when no longer of us. We have shown to the world that is no longer the case, and will never be the case again. Our army and navy showed their ability by swiftly executing an operation to seize corsica to show the French we are no longer a child incapable of action. Our kingdom is growing up and growing strong. They concentrate nearly their entire navy against us out of fear of what our dock workers have built, and our sailors and officers currently operate.
Now as well we are returning a favor and showing our word has meaning. The worth of a mans word can go well beyond their own personal riches. Men to the north stood by us and helped us secure liberation of a lot of land and people within living memory. If our word and spirit is to have value, we owed it to the sons of these same men to stand by them in an hour of their need.
Now I must close by making clear we did not seek this war, we do not seek at act as pirates after plunder and will never seek to act as barbarians or warmongers. We will continue to seek peace, but only so much as all wars must end in peace. We will not fold and surrender ourselves our as hollow men. I look forward to the day we have peace ago but we must hold firm as a kingdom against the forces thrown against us. We must hold to our sacred duty to defend those we owe it to. We must never again fall to our knees. We must stand united.
~King Umberto
GM Note: Order due-date indefinitely delayed until I get military stats for the involved nations out, which hopefully will be either tomorrow or Tuesday. Orders from people not involved in either the Balkan War or the general European war (which up to this point still lacks a name) are, as always, greatly appreciated.
Updated military stats of nations involved in the European wars
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Allegiance: Central Powers (uncommitted), Balkan League
Partial mobilization: Hungary
Manpower: 453,177
Army: (1/5) Average, 1903 technology [+1 in 1 turn, +1 in 4 turns]
45 infantry divisions, 10 cavalry divisions, 0 marine divisions, 4 mountain divisions [5 infantry, 1 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (4/5) Poor, 1900 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 9 pre-dreadnoughts, 3 armored cruisers, 8 light cruisers, 21 destroyers, 0 submarines [+2 light cruisers in 1 turn]
Principality of Bulgaria
Allegiance: Allied Powers, Balkan League
Full mobilization
Manpower: 158,113
Army: (3/5) Poor, 1897 technology [+1 in 1 turn]
9 infantry divisions, 2 cavalry divisions, 0 marine divisions, 0 mountain divisions [5 infantry, 1 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (1/5) Average, 1900 technology [port modernization in 1 turn]
0 dreadnoughts, 0 pre-dreadnoughts, 0 armored cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 4 destroyers, 0 submarines
French Republic
Allegiance: Allied Powers
Full mobilization
Manpower: 1,017,443
Army: (2/5) Good, 1897 technology [1906 tech in 2 turns]
59 infantry divisions, 12 cavalry divisions, 1 marine division, 3 mountain divisions [28 infantry, 4 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (1/5) Good, 1904 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 12 pre-dreadnoughts, 12 armored cruisers, 27 light cruisers, 50 destroyers, 11 submarines [+2 dreadnoughts in 3 turns, +2 dreadnoughts in 4 turns]
German Empire
Allegiance: Central Powers
Full mobilization
Manpower: 1,793,358
Army: (1/5) Excellent, 1904 technology [+1 in 1 turn]
88 infantry divisions, 18 cavalry divisions, 1 marine division, 3 mountain divisions [46 infantry, 8 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (3/5) Average, 1904 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 12 pre-dreadnoughts, 5 armored cruisers, 13 light cruisers, 50 destroyers, 23 submarines [+3 armored cruisers in 1 turn, +2 armored cruisers in 2 turns, +7 light cruisers in 1 turn, +2 light cruisers in 2 turns, +7 submarines in 1 turn]
Kingdom of Italy
Allegiance: Central Powers
Full mobilization
Manpower: 993,576
Army: (4/5) Average, 1894 technology [1905 tech in 1 turns]
50 infantry divisions, 9 cavalry divisions, 2 marine divisions, 4 mountain divisions [24 infantry, 4 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (4/5) Average, 1905 technology [+1 in 3 turns]
0 dreadnoughts, 5 pre-dreadnoughts, 8 armored cruisers, 9 light cruisers, 29 destroyers, 10 submarines [+2 dreadnoughts in 3 turns, +2 pre-dreadnoughts in 1 turns]
Principality of Montenegro
Allegiance: Balkan League
Full mobilization
Manpower: 23,594
Army: (2/5) Poor, 1897 technology
3 infantry divisions, 0 cavalry divisions, 0 marine divisions, 0 mountain divisions [2 infantry mobilized]
Navy: (2/5) Failing, 1892 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 0 pre-dreadnoughts, 0 armored cruisers, 0 light cruisers, 0 destroyers, 0 submarines
Ottoman Empire
Allegiance: None (anti-Balkan League)
Full mobilization
Manpower: 629,444
Army: (3/5) Average, 1896 technology
33 infantry divisions, 6 cavalry divisions, 0 marine divisions, 2 mountain divisions [4 infantry, 1 cavalry modern] [15 infantry, 2 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (4/5) Poor, 1897 technology [+1 in 2 turns, +2 in 3 turns]
0 dreadnoughts, 0 pre-dreadnoughts, 1 armored cruiser, 8 light cruisers, 26 destroyers, 0 submarines [+1 pre-dreadnought in 3 turns, +1 pre-dreadnought in 4 turns, +1 armored cruiser in 2 turns, +1 armored cruiser in 3 turns]
Kingdom of Romania
Allegiance: Central Powers
Full mobilization
Manpower: 298,722
Army: (4/5) Poor, 1895 technology
14 infantry divisions, 3 cavalry divisions, 0 marine divisions, 1 mountain division [7 infantry, 1 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (2/5) Poor, 1898 technology [+1 in 1 turn, +1 in 2 turns]
0 dreadnoughts, 0 pre-dreadnoughts, 0 armored cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 0 destroyers, 0 submarines
Russian Empire
Allegiance: Allied Powers
Full mobilization
Manpower: 2,483,239
Army: (3/5) Average, 1906 technology [+1 in 1 turn]
86 infantry divisions, 21 cavalry divisions, 1 marine division, 2 mountain divisions [30 infantry, 9 cavalry mobilized]
Navy: (1/5) Good, 1899 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 16 pre-dreadnoughts, 4 armored cruisers, 5 light cruisers, 20 destroyers, 0 submarines
Kingdom of Serbia
Allegiance: Balkan League
Partial mobilization
Manpower: 98,040
Army: (3/5) Poor, 1903 technology [+1 in 3 turns]
3 infantry divisions, 1 cavalry division, 0 marine divisions, 0 mountain divisions [1 infantry mobilized]
Navy: (1/5) Failing, 1880 technology
0 dreadnoughts, 0 pre-dreadnoughts, 0 armored cruisers, 0 light cruisers, 0 destroyers, 0 submarines
_________________________________________________
GM Note: Orders for ALL PLAYERS are now due at 12pm (Noon) on 24 February (this Friday). The sooner they're in, the better.
The next person involved in the European wars to IC gets a +1 to all war orders for this turn.
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Thus, bored with the land war and not in any place of great worry, the Imperial and Royal Navy was dispatched with a sole purpose. That purpose? Can't tell you, super secret war plans.
Christmas Address (aka Cheef didn't accept my previous IC)
However, my Loyal subjects, we are lucky. Lucky and victorious. Our brave forces have marched down from their homes and seized our objectives with less dead than the first minute in Warsaw. Our goals have been achieved, every single one. Bosnia is ours! Novi Pazar is ours! We have liberated my rightful subjects from Muslim yoke, that crooked embrace to the devil and his minions. However, even in light of total success, we are not yet done.
The Turkish Sultan, high off victories over the Bulgar, refuse to see our diplomats appeased. They think that victory can be snatched, like a Gypsy in the market, from us. They think our offensive, successful in all ways, can be defeated while fighting on a broad, multinational front. Furthermore, even as they fight, they sell. As they seek to defend their honour in Europe, they sell Crete to the Greeks, a bribe backed no doubt by the British Royal Navy.
However we will not falter, we will not fester, and we will not flounder! The Ottomans shall be proven a lesson as to their pride! Our victories will not stop, our punishment will be delivered unto them. I am confident in ourselves, for we are victorious. Furthermore, we will be a guide to our little Montenegrin and Serbian brothers. We will show them what restraint, victory, and a belief in Christ and the True Church can deliver.
Now, my Loyal subjects, go forth and celebrate. Celebrate peace, celebrate order, and celebrate Christ on this beautiful day. Merry Christmas, and may God bless us all."
Russian Empire
Россійская Имперія
Россійская Имперія
The Russian Empire laments the atrocities committed within the city of Pristina, perpetrated by Ottoman leadership. We ask unto the Ottoman Empire that rectification is had for these misdeeds and that a general policy of restraint is conducted in the future, for the lives of the Christians within the region are most prominent in the thoughts of our Emperor.
Nicholas II extends to the Christian peoples suffering in the many wars across Europe his prayers, hoping that faith in God will ease the suffering of so many and the disharmony forced upon the many Christian nations of the world.
- Count Lamsdorf, Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire
His Majesty's Government will gladly offer its assistance in brokering a peace between the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires.
Soldiers!
Our brave will has defeated the invaders every step of the way: The Serbs have been led into a snowstorm and their will to fight has been broken as their hot-headed leaders have been forced to face the chilling reality: There will be no victory for them, there will be no spoils of war for them, there will only be gruesome death for every invader until they face reality and come to negotiate. Their will to fight is broken, and all that they have managed to steal with the lives of thousands of their finest young men has turned to ashes in front of them. But what can we expect from a Kingdom led by a bastard?
What about Montenegro? The mountain clans are rallying to resist their betters once again, and while their fighting spirit can be admired, they lack discipline. They lack organisation. They lack humility in front of God. The only reason they might claim to be undefeated is because they are too irrelevant and too minor to be able to affect the grand Ottoman Empire. Our strength is absolute, and their puny attempts to hurt us will only see us retaliate a thousand times harsher.
The Bulgar tried to attack the heart of our Empire: To strike a quick blow at Constantinople and cut us off from the rest of our Empire before we were ready to meet them. What a truly arrogant attack, how typical of the Bulgar, but they paid the price in blood. For every meter they advanced, they lost another hundred men. For every meter they then retreated from, they lost a thousand. Our best men drove them back and seized the city of Plovdiv: thereby directly threatening their capital where the puppet masters of the Bulgar soldier sits in safety and plots further mischief. But trust me, my soldiers, when I tell you this: We will seize Sofia, we will defeat our enemy, we will defend our Empire and preserve what the Revolution has built for us.
Long live the Sultan!
- Speech by Edhem Pasha, when inspecting a division awaiting deployment to the front.
Wilhelm II giving an radio address to the German people
Citizens of Germany, we fight not only for what is right but for the defense and protection of our friends and allies from foreign intervention. There can no longer be any doubt, either to Germany or the world that your Kaiser has striven for peace ever since this war commenced. Time and time again we have approached the Russians and the French to end their war of hostility against our nation and our allies, and time and time again they have refused.
While the cost for our young men already is great indeed, then the German Empire shall not stand idly by as our friends, allies and principles are trampled upon by foreign aggression. There are others in moments of weakness, of doubt, where they abandon their friends, their brothers and their countrymen in favour of temporary peace and quiet, who compromise their principles for a warmth evening’s dinner. Those are men who are unwilling to do their duty, not only to their country, their brothers, their family, but also to God.
I have no doubt that the proud German soldiers now fighting outside of Warsaw takes pride in knowing that their supreme Warlord stands with them in their hour of need. I have no doubt in my mind that they shall do us all proud in the face of danger. For while other soldiers falter and fears, then the German soldier stands supreme and unmatched in the world for his courage, honour and discipline. Our young men are out fighting to do us proud and do their duty, and we at home shall not forsake them, we shall stand ready to supply them with every need their might have in the face of countless dangers and once the time comes we shall welcome them home as heroes.
To all men out at the front, either against the French who only wishes us disaster, or against the Russians. Find comfort knowing that we do not stand alone, but that our brave allies in Italy in this great injustice done unto the Kingdom of Romania, our friend and ally, and that you are constantly in your Emperor thoughts. All of Empire thinks and looks to you for inspiration in our hour of need, and we all know that you shall do us proud.
Istanbul Daily
Fighting continues across the front lines, as reports are starting to come back of the successes in Bulgaria. General Nizam Pasha has commented that "fighting has been harsh, but successful" and stresses that the invaders have been pushed out from Ottoman territory and will remain that way. In other parts of the Empire, the Hun invaders faced such ferocious resistance, reportedly losing thousands of men to various local garrisons and uprisings in their attempts to seize Bosnia, that they have stalled and do not seem to be willing to face the Ottoman troops anymore. But their influence is not insignificant.
Remember their two puppets:
- Serbia, where Hungarian troops more or less installed a Bastard King against the will of the Serbian people. That is not an independent country, that is a puppet who does what Austria-Hungary wills it to do.
- Bulgaria, which relied on Austria to establish a naval presence against the Ottoman Empire in the Black Sea. One might have thought that their natural partner for such a deal would be Russia, but no. The Bulgarian ties to the Austro-Hungarian realm are so tight that they preferred to transport said ships overland rather than buy them from someone else with shipyards in the Black Sea. How suspicious!
While Hun troops might not be standing at the front lines anymore, it is clear who is cheering on from behind. It is obvious who will truly profit from an Ottoman defeat. It will not be Christians in the Balkans, that is certain, since we have all our rights protected by the government and the infallible Constitution. But one look at Hungarian "Christianity" tells us everything we need to know about this enemy. One look at the "Magyarisation" policy will tell us what fate awaits those who end up in the claws of the Hun: Cultural sterilisation. The death of all individuality, and the inevitable consuming into a foreign, invasive, culture. No, this must be resisted. It does not matter if you are Christian or Muslim, this threat must be resisted at all costs if you have any sense of sympathy for your fellow man, your neighbours, your friends.
With this fresh in mind, let us now remember those who fight bravely and heroically for us against the invaders. With our steadfast support, their strength and dedication will never be in vain.
A private letter arrives in St. Petersburg for the Tsar, handwritten in English by the Guangxu Emperor.
To His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias,
First, I would like to apologize for writing to you, a Russian monarch, in English, for it is the only language I can reliably write in besides my own. However, my advisors tell me not to worry, and that you can speak and write in English as well, but I suppose that is beside the point. I am more than aware of the brutal war currently being fought in Europe, one that claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and boys from across the continent, brought about a handful of hotheads. Therefore, you should know quite well the devastating effects brought about when one rules with absolute power without goodness in his heart. Although I mourn for the loss of the Empress Dowager, as any good family member ought to, China suffered under her. The Emperor Behind the Curtain has brought my realm to the brink of ruin. Following her needlessly aggressive policies in Manchuria at the outbreak of your war with Japan, your government, perhaps understandably, recognized the rebellion of Yuan Shikai almost immediately, when he still called himself Chancellor. However, due to recent circumstances, namely his blatantly tyrannical self-crowning as a false Emperor, coupled with an offensive approaching Manchuria where large amounts of Russian forces are located, ought to be signs that reconsidering the Russian Empire's stance may be a wise decision.
I am not Cixi. I will not sign a treaty with one hand and throw a punch with the other like she did at Ha'erh'pin, but I ask of you that for the good of both of our Empires to reconsider any support you may have for Yuan Shikai. He has proven himself to be false progressive, and holds an iron grip on power while attracting many to their deaths with his siren song of reform that will never come. I do not request of much, simply a statement reassuring the court here at Luoyang of the current state of neutrality, so to speak, though an official recognition of the Empire of the Great Qing would be appreciated many times more. Furthermore, I am more than willing to reactivate, and potentially renegotiate, the terms of the Treaty of Paoting signed six years ago and made null after the Ha'erh'pin Incident. A good deal of the Trans-Chinese Line, as promised by that agreement, has been finished here of our own accord, and simply await connection to your own railways in Siberia. The reactivation of this treaty, and the proper completion of the Trans-Chinese spike, is sure to do only good for both of our countries and their merchants.
I implore of you to act with the guidance of your God and of my Heaven, to recognize my Celestial Dynasty once more for the sake of virtue and prosperity in our nations.
All the best,
The Emperor of the Guangxu Era
To His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias,
First, I would like to apologize for writing to you, a Russian monarch, in English, for it is the only language I can reliably write in besides my own. However, my advisors tell me not to worry, and that you can speak and write in English as well, but I suppose that is beside the point. I am more than aware of the brutal war currently being fought in Europe, one that claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and boys from across the continent, brought about a handful of hotheads. Therefore, you should know quite well the devastating effects brought about when one rules with absolute power without goodness in his heart. Although I mourn for the loss of the Empress Dowager, as any good family member ought to, China suffered under her. The Emperor Behind the Curtain has brought my realm to the brink of ruin. Following her needlessly aggressive policies in Manchuria at the outbreak of your war with Japan, your government, perhaps understandably, recognized the rebellion of Yuan Shikai almost immediately, when he still called himself Chancellor. However, due to recent circumstances, namely his blatantly tyrannical self-crowning as a false Emperor, coupled with an offensive approaching Manchuria where large amounts of Russian forces are located, ought to be signs that reconsidering the Russian Empire's stance may be a wise decision.
I am not Cixi. I will not sign a treaty with one hand and throw a punch with the other like she did at Ha'erh'pin, but I ask of you that for the good of both of our Empires to reconsider any support you may have for Yuan Shikai. He has proven himself to be false progressive, and holds an iron grip on power while attracting many to their deaths with his siren song of reform that will never come. I do not request of much, simply a statement reassuring the court here at Luoyang of the current state of neutrality, so to speak, though an official recognition of the Empire of the Great Qing would be appreciated many times more. Furthermore, I am more than willing to reactivate, and potentially renegotiate, the terms of the Treaty of Paoting signed six years ago and made null after the Ha'erh'pin Incident. A good deal of the Trans-Chinese Line, as promised by that agreement, has been finished here of our own accord, and simply await connection to your own railways in Siberia. The reactivation of this treaty, and the proper completion of the Trans-Chinese spike, is sure to do only good for both of our countries and their merchants.
I implore of you to act with the guidance of your God and of my Heaven, to recognize my Celestial Dynasty once more for the sake of virtue and prosperity in our nations.
All the best,
The Emperor of the Guangxu Era
The Ottoman Empire
Devlet-i Aliyye-i Osmâniyye
The message from the Russian Empire has been noted, and the incident at Pristina has been documented as an act of last resort. All civilians were warned in good time to evacuate the town prior to the burning, which was vital for military purposes. We firmly reject the Russian classification of this event as an "atrocity", and assure the Russian Foreign Minister that Christians in the Empire are still treated the same as everyone else in the Empire, and that they are both happy and prosperous.
Furthermore, we wish to extend a request that the Russian Empire seek to end its needless conflict with the German Empire and the Kingdom of Romania. The reports state that an untold amount of men have died in a war caused by a minor border dispute. There has been more death in the last 6 months than any man can fathom due to this unnecessary war alone. If anything is an atrocity, surely that must be it. We urge the Russian Empire, and all other belligerent states, to seek a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this conflict, so that normalcy can return to Europe.
The Sultan extends his prayers to all the men currently fighting and dying in that terrible war.