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Rauchen

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[quote name='Rauchen' timestamp='1317005057' post='2808699']
"Kurlandic peacekeeping forces have begun a complete withdrawal from England, turning over full responsibility for the region's protection to Germania. Humanitarian aid that had been initially intended to alleviate the British people in the aftermath of a British-USI War were reallocated to assist Germanic aid efforts in England. All areas formerly under the protection of Kurlandic troops have been formally turned over to Germania. A Kurlandic presence will be maintained in the Great Yarmouth borough, which will be the location of a Kurlandic military base. The civilian populace will be allowed to keep their property, and will be granted Kurlandic citizenship. The borough will maintain a degree of autonomy and the local government, like in Kalmar and Gotland, will consist entirely of native citizens. The region will be holding elections shortly."

-Foreign Minister Alfbern Landau

*Classified*
The remaining peacekeepers in England were withdrawn and returned to their pre-war deployments, except for the 12th Regiment, 6th Division, which would remain in Great Yarmouth. Generalmajor Tyr Bernat was appointed to oversee the military presence in Yarmouth and ensure the peaceful establishment of a local government.
[/quote]

"The Athenian Federation wonders why Kurland has a need to claim the area and set up a local government when it is just interested in maintaining a military base. It is a lot wiser to have a single united government to oversee the entire region under a single protector rather than dividing the land, or is this imperialism by Kurland?"

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"I foresee similar issues resulting from this that caused us to initiate military action against England in the first place. We do not agree with how the Germanic and Kurlandic armies are using British land. This is precisely why we were against dividing Great Britain into occupation zones and spheres of influence." -Vladimir Putin.

Edited by Justinian the Mighty
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[size="5"][b][u][center]Former Chancellor Granted Title[/center][/u][/b][/size]
Former Chancellor Sigismund Schräder became the first Kurlander to receive a title of nobility this week, when King Alaric crowned him Freiherr (Baron) of Ösel for his loyalty to the people of Kurland during his time in office. Freiherr Schräder has been posted in an advisory position to the Graf and council of Ösel, with no real authority in the actual operations of the county. The baron will attend all council meetings and give his input on issues that arise. He has been granted a modest estate on the northern coast of the island, along with a small pension, half of which he has vowed to donate to charity.
"I have already been blessed with a bountiful life and an abundant lifestyle," Freiherr Schräder told KRNN reporters. "I have always fought to ensure the less fortunate receive a share, and now, I can do so directly."

*Classified*
The Alert Level has been returned to 5, with peace returning to England and the Baltic. The Kurlandic Armed Forces have completely phased out the M1 Abrams in favor of the superior German Leopard IV MBTs. The Leopards will participate in all exercises and combat operations from this day forward, while the M1s will be deactivated and placed in storage, in case dire circumstances require that they be necessary.

Kurlandic arms manufactories have received quotas of vehicles, small arms, artillery, and ammunition, which they are expected to fulfill in the next two years.

The construction of the Raider base on Worms has continued on schedule. All training facilities have been thoroughly completed and the airstrip expanded to deal with the increased volume of material shipments, and workers have now moved on to other projects, primarily the port village of Sviby, which is to become a naval facility in anticipation of a future Kurlandic Marine and for the short term goal of being able to increase supply transport between Worms and the mainland. Military workforces have begun building coastal defenses, including artillery batteries, radar posts, SAM sites, anti-ship and SSM missile launch platforms.

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  • 4 weeks later...

[center][u][b]Recruitment Act[/b][/u][/center]
King Alaric introduced a bill to the Diet for marginal military expansion and increased military recruiting. The Recruiting Act will primarily target unemployed Kurlanders instead of recently-graduated students, giving those down on their luck an opportunity for a paying job and pension by adding one division to the Heer and two SEK brigades. The bill has received vocal support from the Nationalists, Nordlandic Revivalists, and FPO members, who applaud the act for simultaneously tackling unemployment and national defense. Elements of the DPP have voiced opposition to the Act, claiming that it unnecessarily increases defense spending, when jobs can be created by funding a different, more peaceful department. Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien has yet to release a statement on the issue.

[u][b][center]Youth Advancement Act[/center][/b][/u]
Legislator Willamar Foth, chairman of the Democratic People's Party, has proposed a bill to the Diet that would significantly increase funding for education for school districts in cities across Kurland to relieve increasingly-crowded classrooms and underpaid teachers. The plan will primarily affect Riga, Dünaburg, Reval, Libau, Mitau, Riga-Strand, Dorpat, Narva, and Kohlta-Järve, with less funding allocated to education in smaller towns. The reasoning behind this is that smaller towns in Kurland have been shown to have better pass rates and test scores, and are therefore in less need of government assistance. Schools with an average of at least 25 students per class will be expanded or broken up into multiple schools, and more instructors will be hired to cope with the expansions. The act will adjust teachers' salaries based on their performance according to student feedback and test scores. Student feedback will only be received from students that are at least 16 years of age and from the parents of younger students who file a document with their local Educational Directorate based on teacher performance. The act will also implement national test standards that will decide future funding; schools with low test scores will be visited by a royal education department employee. The official will inspect the school for deficiencies, from teacher skills to administration to the student body. In exceptionally bad cases, the official may file a report to the Royal Department of Education, appointing them as a viceroy of that school or district for a period of one to three years. This viceroy can suspend all staff members at any time, but must appeal to the local Educational Directorate to permanently remove them. Schools that greatly improve under a viceroy or independently will be granted a sizable budget increase. The Act will increase funding for updated textbooks, libraries, and computers, and encourages students to study mathematics, sciences, and the arts.



[u]Legislation[/u]
[b]Legislative Motion 37[/b]
[i]Recruiting Act[/i]
For: 41
Against: 13
Abstain: 10
[color="#2E8B57"]Vote Passed[/color]

[b]Legislative Motion 38[/b]
[i]Youth Advancement Act[/i]
For: 44
Against: 6
Abstain: 14
[color="#2E8B57"]Vote Passed[/color]


*Classified*
The Raider Basic Training Camp has been completed slightly behind schedule due to administrative difficulties following the governmental transition. A training strip was added to the airport for the flight school, equipped to instruct Raider Pilot candidates in flight of the NH-60 and UH-60 helicopters. Expansions to the harbor at Sviby have also been expanded to support patrol ships, large cargo containers, and small warships- corvettes and frigates. Two additional Island class patrol vessels were were deployed to the island for security purposes, and a dozen each HH-60 and UH-60 helicopters were allocated to the training programs. Reserve M1 Abrams and artillery were assigned for their respective training center. Five hundred SEK troops were deployed to the island to act as security personnel and defend the island.

The Raider camp is now fully functional, with all living and training facilities built and the first Raider classes already transferring from their training center in Mitau to the base on Worms, the eldest of which will complete the program in two years. The focus was now shifted to Yarmouth, the Kurlandic base in England, which had been merely the camp of the 12th Regiment, fortified with barbed wire, sandbag and cinder block walls, and containing only tent housing, a few stone barracks, and a command building that had once been an abandoned manor. Generalmajor Helmond Mendelsohn, Generalfeldmarschall Emelrich von Reval, and Generaloberst Luitger Habich hashed out plans to expand and formalize the base, and the project will commence soon.

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[center][u][b]Foreign Minister Sacked![/b][/u][/center]
Foreign Minister Alfbern Landau was fired by King Alaric today, as a result of the minister's general unpopularity in Kurland. Landau told reporters, "If it is the people's will, then it shall be done," and declined to comment further.
King Alaric shortly after announced Landau's replacement, Ludvig Isak Mikaelsson, a Swedish Kurlander from Kalmar, making him the first Swede in the Royal Cabinet. In the introduction, Alaric announced that Landau would serve as acting Foreign Minister for one week, during which time he would assist Mikaelsson in his first steps as the head of the ministry.
Ludvig Mikaelsson is a member of the Kalmar branch of the Nationalist Party of Kurland, and said in his address, "I will continue to strive for strong relationships with our Baltic neighbors, in order to advance the economic security and stability of our nation and region as a whole."



*Private*
It was nightfall by the time the expected C-12 Huron arrived at Basserheim military installation on the outskirts of Riga, carrying four SEK, four Heer, and five Luftwaffe officers and a VIP. Each of the officers were transferring to Riga or waiting to continue on to Dünaburg and Narva, but none of them knew why the civilian was on the craft. The two SEK officers who were awake could recognize him as Freiherr Sigismund I Schräder, former chancellor of Kurland and presently an adviser to the Ösel provincial government. Neither of them were too concerned about a politician paying a visit to the capital, but they did note the oddity of one doing so at night on a military aircraft. He hadn’t spoken a word except for a murmured response to a Heer Generalmajor that had boarded with him on Ösel. He’d remained immersed in a paperback book the whole trip, and he now stowed it in a plain black traveling suitcase as the plane came to a complete stop.
Freiherr Sigismund I stood at the back of the craft with his head down as three of the Luftwaffe officers and two Heer colonels stirred and retrieved their baggage from the overhead rack and filed off the plane. Sigismund rolled his suitcase off the plane behind the last colonel to disembark, and strolled past the officers and the handful of men sent to accompany the new arrivals. He was heading to a black limousine with darkened windows just off the tarmac, another oddity on a Kurlandic base. The officers were too concerned with their orders to pay much mind to Sigismund’s departure, so no one’s curiosity was piqued when a man in a suit relieved the baron of his suitcase, stowed it in the trunk, and opened the back door for him.
The royal guard shut the door behind Sigismund and strolled back up to the front passenger door. The former chancellor stifled a yawn and looked over to the young man sitting across from him.
“I trust you have good reason for calling me to Riga at this hour?” he asked, helping himself to a whiskey from the minifridge.
“Now, Sigismund, do you really have to ask that?” King Alaric asked, chuckling. “I’d only take you away from your duties if it was important.”
“Let’s hope so,” the elder man muttered, sipping the whiskey and looking out the window as the limo passed unhindered through the base’s checkpoint.
“I wanted to discuss the palace’s Halloween decorations with you,” Alaric began; Sigismund shot him a disbelieving look. The king laughed. “Nah, I’m just !@#$@#$ with you. I actually have need of your services in a more serious capacity than adviser to a Graf.”
“Do tell.”
“As you’re no doubt aware, the Worms Raider compound has been completed, and our military budget focus is shifting away from it and towards recruitment and standardization of equipment,” Alaric said, lighting a cigarette and offering one to Sigismund, who declined. “Our base in Yarmouth, being controlled by units that were involved in the Anglo-German War, is using not only Kurlandic and German weaponry, but English, as well. We have meant to construct a full-fledged military base in Yarmouth, but administrative dysfunctions in the wake of the governmental transition have slowed those plans down.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Sigismund asked.
Alaric exhaled some smoke out the window, ashed the cigarette on an ashtray and leaned forward. “We control the entire Great Yarmouth borough, which is home to a full hundred thousand Englishmen, civilians. I can’t in good conscience displace all of those folks just to build an installation, and for whatever reason, its viewed as evil imperialism if we proclaim them a county of Kurland. That’s just as well, since a territory needs 150,000 inhabitants to become a county. The problem with this is that we can’t open up branches of the KNPD in Yarmouth without them having a civilian government, so they’re effectively under military rule right now.” The king took another drag of his cigarette before continuing. “That’s where you come in. You can pose as a government liaison with the military, while acting as a civilian representative. Set up a local police department, sponsor a local council, and do what you can to keep our countrymen happy.”
“I’m intrigued,” Sigismund admitted. “I have been quite underwhelmed by the workload of being an adviser to the Ösel county council. I’d like to be of greater assistance to the kingdom.”
“Sehr gut, Freiherr,” Alaric replied, smiling. “For the most part, you’ll have a free hand there, but I will know what you’re doing, so be mindful.”
“When do you want me to begin?”
“You can spend the night as a guest at the palace, and you can make your way by Luftwaffe C-27J to Great Yarmouth come morning. I’ll arrange for your personal effects to meet you there within the month.”
“Still no VIP flight, eh?” Sigismund chuckled. “I suppose the chancellery spoiled me. I’m not used to traveling with soldiers.”
“It’s just to keep this whole ordeal low-profile. Can’t send you on a royal plane and arriving to a fanfare, can I?” Alaric laughed.

The limo had arrived at the royal palace in central Riga, surrounded by a square mile of grounds filled with saplings, within view of the Diet and High Court buildings to the north. The two royal guards got out of the front seat to open the doors for the king and baron, then one of them retrieved Sigismund’s baggage from the trunk and carried it into the palace. Alaric turned to Sigismund and offered his hand. “Rest well. I still have work to do.
Sigismund shook his hand and smiled. “Thank you, old friend.”

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*Classified*
The Recruitment Act's manpower objective has been reached. The goal of recruiting unemployed individuals was successful, and with the jobs created in weapons manufacturing as well as military infantry and support personnel has dropped the unemployment rate from 3.4% to 2.1%. A full 20,000 soldiers have been added to the Kurlandic Heer and SEK, and more Leopard IV tanks are being procured from Germany to support them.
--------
Freiherr Sigismund I Schräder awoke early the next morning, a little less than crisp. Knowing that Alaric would prefer to have access to his eyes as soon as possible, he dragged himself out of the lush, warm palace guest bed and trudged into the small but luxurious bathroom. He washed his face with cool water and looked up at his reflection, grasping the edge of the sink. His eyes were red and bleary, his remaining hair was untidy, and his cheeks and chin were covered with stubble.
The image of nobility, he thought wryly, lathering some shaving cream onto his face and taking up a razorblade.

About half an hour later, Sigismund emerged from his room, showered and shaved and wearing a comfortable collared shirt and dress pants, with his suit jacket draped over his arm and suitcase rolling along behind him. He marched along a long, outer hallway that ultimately led him back to the entry hall. A pair of uniformed Raiders stood by the door, their rifles cradled in the crooks of their arms. They snapped to attention when Sigismund arrived in the room, which he returned somewhat sloppily. The two men returned to a parade rest position, and the senior of the two approached.

“[i]Guten Morgen, Freiherr,[/i]” he said crisply. “I am Feldwebel Viktor Emil Denzo, and this is Stabsgefreiter Joachim Achilles Björnsson. His Majesty ordered us to accompany you to on your new assignment in the Yarmouth.”
“[i]Morgen,[/i]” Sigismund replied, smiling. “How kind of the king.”
“He also said he’d like to speak with you before you depart.”
Sigismund raised his eyebrow and checked his watch. “Now? It’s 6:30 in the morning.”
“His Majesty said it does not matter; he’s used to being awoken at all hours of the night.” Denzo smiled. “I daresay you’re doing him a favor waking him up this late.”
“[i]Danke, Feldwebel[/i],” the baron said. “Could you perhaps take my bag?”
The sergeant cast him a disdainful look. “With all due respect, sir, we are Kurland’s finest, not your baggage handlers.” He nodded over to a tuxedoed man emerging from the kitchen. “There’s a butler. I’ll have him take it.”
“Apologies, sergeant,” Sigismund said, abashed. Denzo nodded curtly, and Sigismund rushed up the stairs and down a corridor that led to the king’s chambers.

The change from the tiled entry hall to the private quarters of the sovereign of Kurland was remarkable. The hallway outside his office and room was covered without a plush, blue-green carpet, and the walls were adorned with an assortment of paintings and trinkets from all the world over. A handful of works by lesser-known, but still skilled German and Russian artists were placed between authentic medieval and Renaissance weaponry. Zweihänders, Dane axes, scimitars, halberds, suits of armor, and a few early muskets were among the many items on and against the walls, all acquired through Alaric’s private fortune.
At one end of the corridor was a dark wooden door, and upon it was the von Ösel coat of arms; Sigismund rapped the door on the middle of the crest. There was a sleepy grunt from inside. After a moment’s hesitation, the baron opened the door.

Alaric’s room was much larger than the one allotted to Sigismund for the duration of his stay; the bed was, fittingly, king-sized, located in the corner and with curtains drawn around it. A desk with a touch-screen computer was in the opposite corner, with a screensaver of Neuschwanstein Schloss in the snow showing. Three of the four walls were covered in notice boards and decorations, and a fourth appeared to have the beginning sketches of a mural. Sigismund glanced at this, and was able to discern trees, mountains, and what was possibly a castle nestled within. The baron shook his head and turned back to the bed.
“Alaric?” No answer. “ALARIC!”
The bed curtain was abruptly jerked open. “Whassgoinon?” the King of Kurland slurred, poking his head out.
“Feldwebel Denzo said you wished me to speak with you?”
“Feldwebel who?” Alaric asked, rubbing his eyes and squinting at Sigismund. “Oh, Denzo? Good man, Oberst Weiman recommended him personally. Feel lucky.”
“That’s nice,” Sigismund said. “What’d you want?”
“Hmmm…what did I want?” Alaric frowned. “And where are my boxers?” His face disappeared behind the curtain for a moment. “Ah, there they is. No, sorry, Alexia, go back to bed.”
Alaric opened the curtains and emerged from his bed, giving the baron a brief view of an attractive young blond woman rolling back over. He closed the curtains back behind him. “Come, Sigismund, to my office.” And the king led the way down the corridor wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Sigismund rolled his eyes, closed the bedroom door behind him, and followed him down the hall.

Inside the office, Alaric took a seat in his plush chair, propped his feet up on the desk, and looked at the baron, who looked back at the doorway on the other end of the corridor. “Was that your secretary?”
“Mhm,” the king nodded. “Wonderful girl, Alexia. Excellent secretary, great personality, and a body to match.” He grinned in a satisfied sort of way.
“Isn’t that a breach of ethics?” Sigismund asked.
Alaric cast him a rather bored look. “Sig, Kurlanders have more important things to worry about than a politician nailing a secretary. There’s no law that says the king has to be a saint; there are only laws preventing him from embezzling funds and !@#$@#$ with the system.” Sigismund shrugged noncommittally; sometimes he forgot how young the king was. Alaric waved his hand. “Enough of that. Now, to business.” He clapped his hands together once. “Now, what I wanted to tell you is about what you can’t do. The commanding officer of the Yarmouth garrison is Generalleutnant Týr Bernat, veteran of two Kurlandic combat operations. Just two years ago, Bernat was a lieutenant colonel with a regiment, and now, he’s a lieutenant general with a military base. He’s got his troops under a firm, but benevolent hand, and previous inspections have shown that Yarmouth’s combat readiness is amongst the best in the nation. So there’s item one; don’t $%&@ with Bernat’s troops; anything you do would only $%&@ it up, and to be honest, I’m a bit scared of Bernat. Second, don’t be too open with everything you do. Appoint Englishmen to positions, not Germans and not Swedes. And if you have to, keep a tight leash on the local media; make it all seem like local efforts, not ours.”

The king went on for a few more minutes, reading from a list that he’d had lying on his desk. Sigismund listened and nodded, zoning out at times, knowing that he’d probably be carrying that list with him. Sure enough, at the end of Alaric’s presentation, he handed the baron his list, bade him good night, and returned to bed while Sigismund headed downstairs to meet his escorts outside.

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  • 5 weeks later...

[size="5"][u][b][center]New Chief of Police[/center][/b][/u][/size]
Chief of the Kurlandic National Police Department Dieter Slusser resigned from his office today, amidst allegations of corruption. The Royal Intelligence Service of Kurland opened the investigation two weeks ago, and discovered that Slusser was accepting money from companies like Livonian Coal and Harrien Oil & Gas to ignore violations of corporate regulations. King Alaric has appointed Gustaf Bayer as the new Chief of Police of the KNPD without ceremony. RISK will be conducting a full investigation of the KNPD to root out any further corruption, which Police Chief Bayer said he would give his full cooperation. King Alaric, Chief Bayer, and Slusser all declined comment on the actual case.

OOC: Y'all can stop clamoring now. :rolleyes:

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote][size="5"][u][b][center]Withdrawal Halted[/center][/b][/u][/size]
The Kurlandic military withdrawal from the former counties of Kalmar and Gotland was put on hold this week as a result of civil discord within the Swedish realm. Since the Treaty of Riga signed last week, the Kurlandic administration and military have been transitioning control of the territories to Sweden's government and armed forces. With the abolishment of the monarchy and the state of violence in the rest of Sweden, King Alaric I, Defense Minister Sigifrid Protz, and Generalfeldmarschall Emelrich von Reval have determined that the Swedish nation is in no position to assert authority over their new territories at this time, and the king has issued a declaration extending the Kurlandic presence in Kalmar and Gotland for the duration of the Swedish civil conflict. Under this extension, the Kurlandic Heer will remain in possession of military stations throughout the two provinces, including bases and ports, both of which will remain open to Swedish governmental forces for resupply and stationing. The Kurlandic National Police Department branches that have long been established in the two provinces will maintain the role of civilian law enforcement. The People's Union of Sweden has agreed to allow Kurlandic forces to remain in the provinces for the time being.

"I remain hopeful that Kalmar and Gotland, being removed from Swedish politics, will be spared from the conflict engulfing most of Sweden," King Alaric said in a press conference today. "However, I cannot in good conscience abandon fellow Kurlanders when the possibility exists that the violence will spread to these provinces. The KNPD and Army will remain in place for the protection of Kurlandic and Swedish citizens in the two provinces until such a time that the People's Union can assert effective control over them. In the meantime, the Army will hold the Kalmar borders to prevent rebels from smuggling arms into or out of the province. Swedish government forces will, of course, not be impeded."

Administrative transitions will not be halted, but they are expected to slow until southern Sweden and Stockholm are secured and Sweden can send the proper officials to oversee and expediate the transitional period. Until then, a bare minimum of Kurlandic bureaucrats will remain in the provinces to continue to provide services for the people, though much of the funding will come from charity organizations, as Kurlandic officials will not be able to extract taxes from the populace.[/quote]

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[i]Classified[/i]
Alaric strolled across the grounds of the Königsberg Cathedral, admiring the old Gothic architecture and pristine condition of both the edifice and the grounds. It was midafternoon, and the position of the sun caused the gilded plates around the windows to gleam. With the decline of traditional Christianity in the Baltic regions, the number of guests visiting for religious reasons had greatly decreased, and traffic was slow on Saturdays anyway. A small group of Lutheran priests had been maintaining the building and grounds for ten years, and Alaric had to applaud their results. The cathedral still looked as it had when it had first been restored by the Russians in 1994.

Königsberg, as the historic capital of the state of Prussia, had received a constant stream of tourism while under Germanic control, and income from tourism continued to flow when Kurland took control of the city. As was the case with most of the territory ceded by Germany, the transition had been simple, peaceful, and easy, for the most part. The Kurlandic National Police Department had established branches in the new counties, and the ranks had been primarily filled by local volunteers and former German police, but some of the higher ranked officers had been transferred there from Kalmar and Gotland. Transitional governance had been primarily in the hands of former Germanic officials, with only a few Kurlandic bureaucrats being sent to help reform the county government from the Germanic to the Kurlandic style without disrupting the day-to-day life of the Prussians. The region had been consolidated into two separate counties, Preußen and Memelgebiet, both currently governed by former Germanic state officials.

It was unavoidable that Prussia would bring with it Germanic influences, both social and political. The Kurlandic Meritocratic Union had been formed, headquartered in Memel, while a Prussian Monarchist Party had sprung up in Königsberg itself. The Monarchists, who appeared to be the stronger of the two, advocated centralization of power to the monarchy and even a return to the old Prussian hereditary monarchy rather than the existing elective one. The Meritocrats were supporters of the elective monarchy, but some members did voice support for a hereditary government. But rather than centralizing to the monarch, Kurland should assign positions in the government to citizens based on their individual qualities and achievements. Both of the new parties wanted Kurland to assume the hallowed name of the Kingdom of Prussia, and that train of thought had caught on throughout the country.

It was getting to the point where there was little excuse not to begin the election of legislators and governors in the new territories. The local governments had been completely restructured to the Kurlandic style, and the vast majority of residents had been naturalized and registered for voting. The Diet merely had to pass a bill recognizing Preußen and Memelgebiet as Counties of Kurland, and part of the bill would also reform the county lines; certain counties had been cooperating so frequently that their governments were becoming increasingly unified, so Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien had proposed consolidating them to the Diet, and the idea had the support of plenty of DPP and NPK members, and a recently-held plebiscite had shown that most Kurlanders in the affected provinces had little problem with redrawing county lines.

Alaric had spent the last week in Königsberg and Memel meeting with various community and political leaders in the new counties, hoping to begin the relationship with the new local governments on even more favorable grounds. He was generally supported by the Monarchists and Meritocrats, but it never hurt to let one’s allies know how appreciated they were. He had just come from a meeting with Faramund Wulf Adenauer, the Chairman of the Prussian Monarchist Party, and a likely contender for the coveted position of Graf of Preußen. The king’s refusal to align himself with any political party seemed to have made the meeting easier, allowing Adenauer to view him as an independent leader rather than the pawn of some party. The fact that the PMP’s chairman was one of the few liberals in the typically center-right party led to the two politicians hitting it off, and by the time Alaric left, there was little doubt that he had the near-full support of the Monarchists.

When they had parted company, Adenauer had left the king with one bit of advice: “Keep your eye on the Church,” he’d said, referring to the highly-political Kurlandic Orthodox Church. “They’re losing what little influence they had in the nation and the region, and they’re bound to be getting desperate. Beware the desperate man who speaks to invisible people in the sky.” Alaric had merely laughed, dismissing it as the typical Germanic bias against organized Christianity, but he had to admit that the clergymen in the Diet had been more vocal during sessions, loudly voicing their extremist positions despite having almost no support from other parties or even many people. They’d also been increasingly aggressive towards members of the NPK and DPP, which didn’t seem wise, considering they were the two strongest parties in the Diet.

This was his last day in Königsberg, Alaric noted lazily, watching leaves fall from a nearby oak tree. Tomorrow he’d head to Memel to meet with the Meritocratic Party’s leading members, and soon after that, he would return to Riga.




*Public*
[quote][u][b][center][size="5"]County Lines Redrawn, Elections to Be Held[/size][/center][/b][/u]
The Diet is voting on a motion introduced by Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien that would consolidate certain states into more unified bodies, and formally integrate the western lands ceded by Germany as Kurlandic Counties. Elections are to be held in the two new counties of Preußen and Memelgebiet, and are expected to be dominated by the two locally-formed parties, the Kurlandic Meritocratic Union and the Prussian Monarchist Party, each led by former Germanic leaders and citizens, but also comprising of some northern Kurlanders. Due to the numerous administrative changes the government has undergone, elections will be held for the entire Diet.

The KMU, led by Eirikr Anzo Winther, a former Germanic army officer, is a centrist party that advocates the appointment of government officials based on their individual attainments and talents. The Meritocrats favor a centralized government revolving around the monarch and a council made up of the most proficient and accomplished men and women in Kurland, who would be appointed by the monarch. The KMU, however, still supports allowing the Diet the power to impeach the monarch and councilors, in the event that the public demands such. The party favors corporate regulation, but wants to lower the current tax rates on the wealthy. They want to increase funding to the military and apply meritocratic ideas to training and organization, rewarding the most skilled rather than the most well-connected. Several leading members, including Chairman Winther, favor adopting the historic name of Kingdom of Prussia, while maintaining the elective monarchy. The KMU has indicated that it supports close relations with Sweden, Germany, and Norway-Denmark and courteous relations with Finland and Slavorussia. Chairman Winther stated in a press conference that the KMU is open to the idea of relations with Ireland and Canada.

The PMP, as its name suggests, also supports renaming Kurland to Prussia, in the process moving the capital from Riga to Königsberg. Headed by Dietmar Cenric Teufel, a former German statesman, they support a meritocratic absolute monarchy, with few constraints on the power of the monarch and a small ruling council, composed of experienced individuals appointed by the monarch. They also support changing the Succession from elective to hereditary, though they have not indicated whether they support King Alaric I von Ösel’s bloodline, the Hohenzollerns of old, or a different family. The PMP leans to the right, preferring not only a more hands-off approach to the economy, but also higher taxes on the wealthy. The majority of its members favor treaties with other Nordic nations- Sweden, Germany, and Norway- as well as Ireland and Canada.
The NPK, DPP, FPO, and NRP have a small amount of influence in the new territory, while the Kurlandic Orthodox Church has been utterly unable to break in due to the lack of local Christians.

The elections are scheduled to begin within the week. Due to explosive population growth and territorial shifts, there will now be 100 seats in the Diet, plus the Chancellor.[/quote]

[u][b]Legislation[/b][/u]

LM-39
[i]Prussian Integration Act[/i]
Summary: A motion recognizing that the Counties of Preußen and Memelgebiet have successfully completed the transitional phase into Kurlandic rule. Elections for Graf and local councils are to be held within no more than two weeks.
For: 62
Against: 0
Abstain: 3


LM-40
[i]County Reform Act[/i]
Summary: A motion to combine the provinces of Kreis Dorpat, Kreis Pernau, Jewe, and Harrien into the County of Harrien; combine Kurland and Semgallen into the County of Kurland; combine Livland and Lettgallen into the County of Livland. The county governments will be merged, and disputed positions will be decided by election.
For: 47
Against: 12
Abstain: 6

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[quote][center][u][b][size="5"]Third Election Results[/size][/b][/u][/center]
The third nation-wide elections were held on schedule this week; all votes have been counted and results have been announced. The shifts in power have largely met expectations, though the new Prussian parties have been far more successful than expected.

The Nationalists and Democrats have, for the most part, maintained their strong standing in both national and local government, but the Nationalists failed to seize any new seats in the expanded Diet, and will still have 28 sitting members. The Democrats, on the other hand, took seven seats, bringing their party total to 23. The Nationalists managed to maintain the countships in Kurland and Harrien, but lost Ösel to the Monarchists.

The Monarchists have emerged as the stronger of the two new Prussian parties, seizing 23 seats in the Diet not only in Preußen, but throughout Kurland. The PMP also succeeded in breaking into the local governments of Kurland, Livland, Memelgebiet, and Ösel, while dominating Preußen. Their allies, the Meritocrats, won seats scattered across Kurland, and effectively controls the government of Memelgebiet, as was predicted. The KMU will hold 13 seats in the Diet.

Surprisingly, the NRP and FPO, who were expected to at least maintain their presence in the Diet, were pushed off to the side by the PMP and KMU, and the Orthodox Church has almost been utterly removed from Kurlandic politics, clinging on to only one seat in the Diet, which they only won by a margin of 1.3%.
[/quote]

The results of the legislative and local elections are broken down by county.

[size="4"][u][b]County of Kurland[/b][/u][/size]
[u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u]
15 Delegates
Nationalist Party of Kurland: 6
Democratic People's Party: 4
Prussian Monarchist Party: 4
Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2

[i][u]Local Government[/u][/i]
Graf: Sverrir N. Hall (NPK- 37%)
Council (7 Members): 2 NPK, 2 DPP, 1 PMP, 1 KMU, 1 NRP


[size="4"][u][b]County of Livland[/b][/u][/size]
[u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u]
30 Delegates
Nationalist Party of Kurland: 11
Democratic People's Party: 11
Prussian Monarchist Party: 3
Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2
Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 1
Free Peoples' Organization: 1
Independents: 1

[u][i]Local Government[/i][/u]
Graf: Gundahar C. Ritter (DPP- 42%)
Council (17 Members): 8 DPP, 5 NPK, 2 PMP, 1 FPO, 1 Ind.


[size="4"][u][b]County of Harrien[/b][/u][/size]
[i][u]Legislature Seats[/u][/i]
24 Delegates
Democratic People's Party: 7
Nationalist Party of Kurland: 6
Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 3
Free Peoples' Organization: 2
Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2
Kurlandic Orthodox Church: 1
Independents: 3

[u][i]Local Government[/i][/u]
Graf: Friedrich O. Ingersleben (NPK- 34%)
Council (11 Members): 4 DPP, 3 NPK, 2 KMU, 2 Independents


[size="4"][u][b]County of Ösel[/b][/u][/size]
[i][u]Legislature Seats[/u][/i]
5 Delegates
Prussian Monarchist Party: 2
Nationalist Party of Kurland: 1
Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 1
Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 1

[u][i]Local Government[/i][/u]
Graf: Eyvindr C. Vann (PMP- 47%)
Council (3 Members): 1 PMP, 1 NPK, 1 KMU


[size="4"][u][b]County of Memelgebiet[/b][/u][/size]
6 Delegates
Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 4
Prussian Monarchist Party: 1
Democratic People's Party: 1

[u][i]Local Government[/i][/u]
Graf: Kasimir R. Förstner (KMU- 61%)
Council (5 Members): 4 KMU, 1 PMP


[size="4"][u][b]County of Preußen[/b][/u][/size]
[u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u]
20 Delegates
Prussian Monarchist Party: 15
Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 4
Nationalist Party of Kurland: 1

[u][i]Local Government[/i][/u]
Graf: Faramnund W. Adenauer (PMP- 88%)
Council (11 Members): 8 PMP, 3 KMU




[u][b]Legislation[/b][/u]
LM-41
[i]National Heritage Act[/i]
Summary: A motion to officially change our national name to the Kingdom of Prussia. All aspects of government remain unchanged, but the National Diet of Kurland will be known as the Prussian Reichstag and the flag will be changed to the old Prussian banner.
For: 90
Against: 4
Abstain: 6
Approved by King
[color="#008000"]PASSED[/color]

Edited by Rauchen
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[quote][u][b][center][size="5"]Withdrawal Complete[/size][/b][/u][/center]
[center][img]http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/01074/jm_bundeswehr_BM_B_1074742p.jpg[/img]
[size="1"][i]Prussian soldiers lined up for roll call prior to departure from Kalmar City[/i][/size] [/center]

The Prussian forces formerly stationed in Greater Yarmouth, Kalmar, and Gotland have now completed their withdrawal from those regions with the departure of the last companies from Kalmar. Generalmajor Tyr Bernat oversaw the tail end of the Kalmar withdrawal, having been reassigned from command of the Yarmouth detachment after organizing the conveyance of authority to Irish civilian and military officials. The general had delayed the extraction of the forces stationed in Kalmar as a precaution against resurgence by the Swedish fascist factions, but this week gave the go-ahead for the last 500 men stationed in Kalmar to return to Prussia.

When asked for his views on Prussia’s abandonment of its overseas holdings, Bernat simply said, “It was a political decision. I am a soldier, so I leave politics to politicians.” The general refused to answer any more questions, instead suggesting that reporters “go find something more interesting to do.”

A force of 50 Prussian soldiers will remain on the primarily German island of Farö, northeast of Gotland, and another 75 will be stationed in the township of Farösund, just across the strait from the island. These two areas have a combined population of roughly 7,000 people, 6,400 of which are Prussians, and the territory will be administered directly by the King as the Farö District. The population of the district is expected to increase slightly because of Prussian citizens migrating from Gotland and Kalmar.[/quote]

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[quote][size="6"][u][b][center]Prussian Industries Grow; Preußen and Memelgebiet Experience Economic Boom[/center][/b][/u][/size]
The entirety of Prussia has been seeing increased benefits from certain industries, primarily green energy companies. Since the birth of the Kurlandic state, the government has encouraged a transition from fossil fuels to green energy sources, and so solar, wind, and hydroelectric companies have experienced positive growth at the expense of coal, oil, and natural gas companies. At this point in time, Prussia derives 53.2% of its energy from solar power, 21.4% from wind, 10.5% from hydroelectricity, 12.9% from coal, and 2.0% from wood fuel.

Most of the coal and wood fuel use is centered around the provinces of Preußen and Memelgebiet, but with the encouragement of Graf Faramund Adenauer, large renewable energy companies have been expanding their presence in the two new counties. With the construction of new wind farms and solar arrays across Preußen, an estimated 145,000 jobs have been created, with further expansions planned to add another 70,000. Graf Kasimir Förstner of Memelgebiet has announced that he intends to pursue a similar approach for his own state, albeit on a smaller scale.

Renewable energy as a whole may be benefitting from the government's policies, but one other industry has taken Prussia by storm. Industrial hemp, a commodity encouraged by the Kurlandic government even in its infant days, has been credited with a sharp upturn in the Prussian economy. Biodegradable plastic made from hemp has completely replaced traditional plastic; vehicles composed of hemp materials that run on hemp fuels dominate 80% of the automobile industry; hempcrete is used as a building material in many areas, though regular concrete is still more widely used; and most stationery companies have completely transitioned to hemp paper.

Due to the relative ease of industrial hemp production, many Prussians have invested in hemp farms of varying size, and some have even begun growing it in their back yards for a small boost to income. Two of the largest hemp companies, Prussian Green Industries and the Teutonic Hemp Corporation, purchase the vast majority of their product from small farmers like these, and more and more Prussians, especially in Preußen and Memelgebiet, are hoping to get a cut of their success. Some optimistic experts predict that hemp-related industries will continue to expand, and may even grow short on workers as expansion continues.

This news comes amidst a fierce debate in the [i]Reichstag[/i], where a debate on defense budgets rages in the aftermath of withdrawals from Sweden and England. The traditional alliance between the Democratic Peoples' Party and the Nationalist Party is divided on this subject, with the DPP advocating a cut in military size and spending, and the Nationalists insisting on maintaining a strong standing army for security purposes. The camp favoring a cut in defense spending has grown by the day, and is now supported by most of the Monarchists and Meritocrats, while the NRP and FPO firmly support the NPP. The split in the PMP and PMU means that the vote is fairly equally split right now. Political analysts have speculated that the hemp market may play a factor in the result; if the hemp industry's growth outstrips its work force, the [i]Reichstag[/i] will likely reduce the size of the military for the dual bonus of cutting costs and increasing income.[/quote]

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  • 1 month later...

[quote][size="6"][u][b][center]Military Growth[/center][/b][/u][/size]
The Prussian Royal Armed Forces have lost priority in recent years as the government focused on encouraging economic growth throughout Prussia. The size of the armed forces shrank to a low of 35,000 soldiers and SEK personnel. However, the Monarchists and the Meritocrats have been advocating an increase in military expenditure, paid for with a surplus provided from taxing the ever-growing hemp industry and trade with the Großdeutsches Reich. Nationalist Party Chairman Freiherr Sigismund von Schräder voiced his opposition to the move, stating that Prussia “has no need to expand the arsenal when no immediate threat exists.” However, a number of the Nationalists and their allies, the Peoples’ Party, have indicated that they support the move, and it is doubtful that Chairman Freiherr von Schräder will be able to pull his party together against this move.
The Monarchists and Meritocrats, in a de facto coalition, hold 36 of 100 seats in the Reichstag, and on this particular motion they boast the support of all 6 Nordlandic Revivalist representatives, 2 of the 3 FPO members, three of four Independents, and the sole Orthodox clergyman. With the support of the minor parties, the motion has 48 potential supporters, meaning that a proposal would require only a few Nationalists and Democrats to flip. King Alaric has also spoken out in favor of the Monarchists' motion, declaring that "Prussia needs to maintain a strong and modernized military, so that we may be ready for any threats to our nation in the future."
Falk Vonnegut, a Monarchist representative from Preußen, today presented Legislative Motion 42, which would provide funding from the treasury to allow the recruitment of up to 100,000 additional personnel into the Royal Armed Forces and authorizes the Generalfeldmarschall to reactivate as many armored vehicles, artillery, and other ordnance as he deems fit from the Prussian and former Germanic Union stores. The Reichstag is expected to vote on it either later today or sometime tomorrow.[/quote]


[u][b]Legislative Motion 42[/b][/u]
[i]Reactivation Act[/i]
Summary
[list]
[*]Allows the Ministry of Defense to recruit up to 100,000 additional volunteer personnel into the Prussian Armed Forces. This legislation does not enact a draft.
[*]Allows the Generalfeldmarschall access to deactivated military equipment in any storage facility across Prussia
[*]Allows foreign immigrants to expedite their naturalization by serving five years in the Army or SEK
[/list]
For: 63
Against: 31
Abstain: 6
Approved by the King


[i][b]Private[/b][/i]
Minister of Defense Sigifrid Protz and Generalfeldmarschall Emelrich von Reval would immediately begin coordinating a recruitment campaign to coerce young adults and military veterans to enlist or reenlist in a branch of the armed forces. Veterans would be reinstated one pay grade above what they were discharged as and go through an expedited version of the brutal Prussian training. New recruits would still go through the standard training program. Immigrant recruits would be placed in segregated units from native volunteers; a total of 15,000 foreigners enlisted in the Army and SEK, allowing for an entirely separate Foreign Division of the Army and Foreign SEK Brigade. While the recruits underwent basic training, the Field Marshal would go through the equipment inventories to decide which pieces he wanted to reactivate, while also browsing German equipment to determine which types he would like to test for potential introduction into the Prussian arsenal.

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[quote][size="6"][u][b][center]Emergency Powers Act[/center][/b][/u][/size]
Theodor Voigt, a Monarchist representative from Preußen, has introduced Legislative Motion 43, the Emergency Authority Act. This bill would implement certain emergency protocols that would become available to the Monarch in the event of a military conflict, such as the ability to issue a draft. The Act boasts support from the Monarchist, Meritocratic, Nationalist, and Nordlandic parties, and is expected to pass easily, despite reservations voiced by the Democrats and FPO. DPP Chairman Willamar Foth stated his opinion that such an act should be decided upon by popular referendum. Foth’s idea received limited support outside of the Democratic party, however, and LM 43 is expected to go to a vote within the next day.[/quote]

[u][b]Legislative Motion 43[/b]
[/u][i]Emergency Authority Act[/i]
Summary:
• In the event of a foreign war- that is, one in which the Kingdom has not been directly attacked- the King may order a draft of up to 500,000 reservists, to be activated as necessary.
• In the event of a domestic war, in which the land and people of Prussia are threatened, the King may order a draft of up to 1,000,000 reservists.
• Reservists drafted under this act will receive full military training, but will not be armed for conflict outside the upkeep capabilities of the Ministry of Defense; under this plan, the active combatants in the Prussian army will never exceed a set threshold at any given time.
• In the event of an invasion of Prussia, the Monarch may authorize the employment of slash-and-burn tactics to deprive the invader of resources.

[quote][size="6"][center][u][b]Archbishop Renounces Faith[/b][/u][/size]
[img] http://02varvara.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/archbishop-miron-of-poland-e1270970766991.jpg[/img][/center]

Archbishop Bernhard Stoppelblein, head of the Prussian Orthodox Church and the sole remaining POC clergyman remaining in the Reichstag, has formally announced that he will be stepping down as Archbishop as a result of damage to his own faith. He claims that his decision is completely unrelated to the ongoing crisis in the Catholic church.
“I find it hard to believe in a God who allows so many of his sheep to go astray from the flock without making any effort to show them the true path,” the former archbishop said in an interview. “ Also, I finally read the Bible from cover to cover…and there is some God-awful things in there, and I doubt that many of my former brothers of the faith would retain their beliefs if they were to do likewise.

Needless to say, the resignation of the top Church official has rocked what little remains of the Prussian Orthodox Church; a mere 1.4% of Prussia’s 10.5 million citizens follow that particular faith, and 86% of those followers admit to having never read their holy book thoroughly. Social experts predict a significant drop in not just the Orthodoxy’s membership, but also, to a lesser extent, other branches of Christianity in Prussia.

Representative Stoppelblein has announced that he intends to join the Prussian Meritocratic Union and begin to vote in a more secular fashion.[/quote]

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*Classified*
The vehicles, equipment, and ammo from Germany would arrive over the next few days. With the assistance of German military advisers, all military personnel would be trained to operate the Xenias combat gear and grow accustomed to their new StA rifles. The 200 Arca IV Nakils would replace that many Leopard IVs in service, but those decommissioned Leopard tanks were placed in reserve storage. 24 Lu-65 fighters replaced four squadrons of F-16s in the Luftwaffe.

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[quote][size="6"][center][u][b]Abortion Law Proposed Amid Debate[/b][/u][/center][/size]
For the past week, a number of legislators in the Reichstag have been arguing over the matter of abortion, which up until now has remained an issue on the periphery of Prussian politics. Without any true national legislation on the matter, it had been generally left to the counties to govern the practice. However, it has recently been brought up in the Reichstag after a dispute in the County of Livland, specifically in the city of Rosittin, which holds a sizeable Catholic population.
The incident in question is the assault and death of 17-year old Rebekka Kistler near the Heilige Herz von Christ Cathedral; she had been savagely stabbed to death by two men with Swiss army knives. The culprits, Alfric Rickard and Vikenti Vasilyev, both of whom attended sermons at the HHvC, claimed that they had done so because of Kistler's recent early-stage abortion, with Vasilyev even going as far as to tell police that they had "acted as the hands of God in damning that slut." The incident has been condemned by the Catholic church, as well as the Lutheran and Orthodox churches in Prussia, but in addition to opening up a national abortion debate, it has also spurned concerns over traditional Christian organizations that had already been fed by Legislator Bernhard Stoppelblein's resignation from the Orthodox Church.
"Despicable as Rickard and Vasilyev's actions may be, they brought a very important issue to the forefront of Prussia's attention," said Independent Legislator Ludolf Halle, a Catholic. "I, like many of my colleagues, believe in the sanctity of human life, and I do not believe our government should abide the slaughter of people before they even have a chance to breathe their first breath."

Raganhar Hummel, an atheist Nationalist legislator, refutes the claims of the Christian minority. "I believe that we, as men, have no right to tell a woman what she can or can't do with her body, and I think this whole abortion debate is merely a deflection tactic by the various Christian sects to avoid answering for the actions of their adherents. I think we should let this debate return to the sidelines and go after the real issue. We should investigate the Heilige Herz von Christ to determine whether or not Rickard and Vasilyev were motivated by their holy men."

Amidst this argument, King Alaric has proposed a law to the Reichstag to settle both issues. Primarily focusing on abortion, Alaric's act holds only a single clause pertaining to the Catholic church. He proposes that abortion be legalized on a national level, but it should not be allowed to be used as one's primary method of birth control. Women will be required to pay for their abortions, and after their second, they will be mandated by the government to undergo a tubectomy. As for the Church, the act would appoint an official to the Heilige Herz von Christ Church to observe practices and investigate the clergymen, though he must obtain a warrant to search the private quarters of the clergy.

The act has received generally positive review from many members of the Reichstag, though the Christian members and certain civil rights advocates have voiced their opposition. The Motion is expected to be passed despite this, though.[/quote]

[b]Legislative Motion 44[/b]
[i]The Kistler Act[/i]
Summary
[list][*]Legalizes abortion at a national level and overrides county laws to the contrary
[*]Allows for women to have up to two abortions before mandating that they undergo a tubectomy
[*]Increases the penalty for vigilanteism, fatal or otherwise, against any abortion patient
[*]Allows the King to appoint an observer to the Heilige Herz von Christ to root out devious influences
[/list]

For: 73
Against: 21
Abstain: 6
Approved by the King
[color="#008000"]Motion Passed[/color]

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  • 4 weeks later...

[quote][center][u][b][size="6"]Confucianism on the Rise in Kurland[/size][/b][/u][/center]
Eastern philosophy has stood within Prussia since its foundation, though typically none of those faiths have commanded a significant number of adherents; Buddhism has averaged around 5% of the population, and Confucianism, Taoism, and other East Asian ideologies were observed by only 3% of the populace. However, since the integration of Preußen and Memelgebiet, these beliefs, especially the teachings of Confucius, have begun to spread throughout Prussia, though the upsurge is centered in the County of Kurland. The county capital of Libau, population 215,000, is now home to an estimated 95,000 Confucians; the port city is now becoming known throughout Prussia as the birthplace of Prussian Confucianism.

Around 9% of Prussians now cite a form of Confucianism as their philosophy, and that figure continues to grow rapidly. It is widely accepted that Confucianism's growth has been strongly influenced by the meritocratic ideas brought into Prussia by the former Germanic counties, though the Confucian populace in those two counties has experienced only a minimal boost. While Confucianism is continuing to spread in the other counties, it is not believed that Preußen or Memelgebiet will be severely impacted on account of deep-rooted Norse polytheist traditions.

Prussian Confucianism, according to adherent and noted theologian Hemingr Dürr, accepts many of the values originating from China, but rejects certain rules regarding societal roles, such as that of women, and has slightly altered the laws regarding relationships and filial piety. "In truth, Prussians are not so much adopting Confucius's teachings so much as they are shaping them to their lifestyle," Dürr noted. "Though there is no presently established authority on Confucian laws, so specific ideals may vary from person to person, and I don't believe that there will ever be a ruling Confucian hierarchy here in Prussia, because that goes against what many Prussians view as a central pillar of Confucianism: individual accomplishment. It is generally accepted by not only the Confucian community, but Prussia as a whole, that organized religion serves only to stifle individuality and personal creativity."

On the topic of organized religion, Christian sects (representing a cumulative 16% of the population) in Kurland appear to be reviling the surge in Eastern philosophy, perhaps in part due to a not-insignificant number of their followers converting to this "foreign" faith. Acts of violence in Livland, Kurland, and Harrien against professed Confucians, Buddhists, and Taoists have been traced back to members of several Christian congregations. Though generally limited to assault-and-battery and vandalism, there have been three cases of murder in Libau where the victims were found with crucifixes carved into their throats and the words "Jesus Loves Me" cut into their foreheads. The culprit has not been found yet, but the Commissioner of the Libau branch of the National Prussian Police Force, Otmar Kaube, has declared that this killer will become his first priority. Graf Sverrir Hall, who himself is a humanist atheist, also issued a statement, saying, "I will not stand for any form of violence while I am count, especially not in the name of an invisible man in the sky. I applaud the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist populations for restraining themselves from retaliation thus far, and I hope to see that continue. But I will not rest as long as any of my constituents fears victimization for their beliefs."

On that note, the Kurlandic Council passed a "No Tolerance for Intolerance" bill, which sets the mandatory prison sentence for religiously-inspired violence to 3 years for vandalism, 8 years for assault and battery, and authorizes expedition of the death penalty in cases of first degree murder. Nationalists, Meritocrats, and Monarchists across the country are advocating the Reichstag to adopt a similar policy on a national level.

King Alaric has declared that he supports the right of the people to exercise their own religion, as is guaranteed in the Prussian constitution, and also added that "extreme violence by any party will be met with the full justice of the Kingdom. We are a country founded on individual rights and philosophical freedom, and I will consider zealous attacks on adherents to other faiths to be an attack on the very core of Prussia." He says he will not enact a decree like that of the Kurlandic Council, but would support it if it were to pass through the Reichstag, unless a large-scale religious attack occurs against any faith.[/quote]


*Classified*
In response to recent German mobilizations, DefCon has been raised to level 3; the 1st Army Corps has been redeployed to installations near Memel, Königsberg, and Pillau. The 2nd Army Corps has been relocated to Mitau, Libau, and Wendau. Twenty squadrons of F-16s and F-111s apiece have been relocated alongside the Army units.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The weeks following the reintegration of Gotland were filled with frantic yet steady political reorganization. Remaining elements of the old Gotlandic branch of the Prussian Nationalist Party were the first to do so, but they appear to have lost a significant amount of the support they'd once boasted from the island. Instead, the Prussian Meritocratic Union, a complete newcomer to the Gotlandic political scene, has secured an estimated 23% of potential voters to their ideals. The Democratic People's Party is also making a strong showing, with around 15% of voters now registered with the Gotlandic branch, but they must compete with the local Leftist League, a combination of the old Swedish Socialist Front, Swedish Democratic League, and former DPP members, to keep their voting base. A Conservative Party of Gotland has also been formed, consisting of small Swedish conservative organizations and many less-notorious members of the Order of Falkenberg; the CPG has been toeing the 10%-support line for the past few weeks, though they have reached a low of 4% and a high of 19%, making it difficult to project how successful they will be when it comes time for elections. A failed Nordlandic Revivalist branch was also absorbed into the Conservatives just last week.

Many Gotlanders remain undecided on who to vote for in the election, claiming that time has not yet allowed clear agendas and no true political leaders have come from any of the major parties. 44% of voters say they have no idea who to vote for, 46% say they know who to vote for, and 10% say they are either leaning towards one party or did not intend to vote. When asked what their biggest political concern was, 47% cited the local economy, which had been struggling due to the Swedish war with Finland, then Slavorussia, and the transition to Hethnamark control and continued hostilities with Slavorussia. 26% claimed that civil rights were their foremost concern, having lived under wartime conditions for several years. 16% said that defining the line between Gotlandic autonomy and Prussian authority was the greatest issue; the remaining 11% was divided between various religious and cultural issues, including a 1.5% group that wanted to secede from Prussia and remain independent.

Gotlandic and Prussian officials have tentatively placed the election two months from today; candidates for offices were to organize their campaigns within the next month.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The results are in for the Gotlandic Autonomous Region's first elections. In a referendum, Gotlandic voters decided by a narrow margin to forgo the traditional Prussian system of county administration, with a strong central figure (the Graf) and a small Administrative Council. Instead, they have instituted a more traditional parliamentary system, with a Governor and a unicameral Landtag, both chosen through direct election, and a judicial branch that will be appointed by the Governor but approved by the Landtag. The Landtag will consist of one representative per 5,000 citizens; Gotland has 173,000 residents now, so there will be 35 members.

Precincts have reported an astonishing 93% voter turnout.

[u][b]
Governor[/b][/u]
[i]Anton C. Geier (CPG) - 26.4%[/i]
Corbinian K. Ebner (PMU) - 19.7%
Tyko A. Landau (DPP) - 17.9%
Torbjörn O. Alvarsson (LL) - 15.3%
Markus C. Schreck (PNP) - 9.4%
Halsten M. Adolvsson (GIM) - 5.2%
Kayetan L. Spannagel (Ind.) - 4.3%
None of the Above/Invalid Ballot- 1.8%


[u][b]Landtag (35 Seats)[/b][/u]
Conservative Party of Gotland - 11 seats
Prussian Meritocratic Union - 8 seats
Democratic People's Party - 5 seats
Leftist League - 3 seats
Prussian Nationalist Party - 4 seats
Gotlandic Independence Movement - 3 seats
Independents - 1 seat


The Prussian Meritocratic Union's support flagged towards the end of the race on the matter of Prussian involvement in Gotlandic affairs; when PMU gubernatorial candidate Corbinian Ebner came out in support of full reintegration with Prussia, the entire party's numbers fell. Conservative Party leader Anton Geier capitalized on their decline by touting a strong, Gotlandic government, ruled by Gotlanders, not a Prussian import party. Division between the Democratic People's Party and Leftist League spoiled either's chances of gaining the governorship or a solid grip in the Landtag. The Gotlandic Independence Movement, which only registered as an official political party in the last two weeks before the election, managed to take in a solid 5% of the gubernatorial vote and three seats in the Landtag. The Prussian Nationalists failed to re-energize their old political following in Gotland, and performed only slightly better than originally anticipated.

The Conservatives have formed a coalition government with the PNP and GIM, giving them the minimum 18 members required for a majority. DPP Gotland Chairman Tyko Landau tells reporters that they have begun attempting to find common ground with the rival Leftist League, and hinted at agreements being made with the PMU. The Conservative Governor Anton Geier has said that his primary concern at present is to work out the kinks of transition and find competent candidates to fill his cabinet, regardless of party affiliation.

"In this time of transition, it is important that we remember to look beyond our political affiliations and remember, we are all Gotlanders. We must work together to form a strong, self-sufficient republic, while still cooperating with our venerable Prussian brothers," Governor Geier said at his inauguration. "My first orders of business as Governor will be to organize and encourage all travel between Prussia and Gotland and improving ferries to German Sweden, and make improvements to the shipping capacity of ports in Visby, Slite, Klintehamn, and Fårö. And of course, I will select a panel of the fairest judges in Gotland to interpret our laws and protect our freedoms."

The members of the Landtag convened to elect the President of the Landtag; an individual requires a majority of votes to attain this office. The fragility of the Conservatives' coalition showed in this moment, as the CPG encountered disagreements with the Prussian Nationalists on their chosen candidate, a former Order of Falkenberg member named Joakim Bjorkman, and their four members cast their votes instead for the Meritocratic nominee, Dietmar Brandr, giving him 20 votes and the presidency. Brandr is expected to favor the opposition, but also cooperate with Governor Geier when necessary.


All election results were verified by joint Gotlandic-Prussian electoral boards.

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A study released by the University of Riga has shown a moderate disparity in the economic strength of the various counties. According to researchers, Preußen and the northern districts of Livland receive more royal grants than Ösel, Memelgebiet, Kurland, and the rest of Livland combined. It was also noted that Reval, Harrien, the third-largest city in Prussia, the unemployment rate remains at a steady 8.7%, while in Riga, Livland, the unemployment rate is only 2.1%, a pattern that is repeated throughout much of the nation. As a result of this study, the Counties of Ösel, Memelgebiet, Kurland, and Harrien, plus the autonomous region of Gotland, have all joined their voices together to request that royal assistance be dispersed based on actual need, so as to ensure a fair standard of living to all Prussian citizens, regardless of location.

In response to this highly popular motion, King Alaric drafted a plan to disperse a total of 5.3 billion PM (Preußischmarks) in royal aid to expand existing progress in some counties and foster quicker growth in others.
[list]
[*]County of Livland receives 750 million PM, of which 625 million is to fund economic enterprises in southern Livland, including, but not limited to, Dünaburg, Jakobstadt, Rositten, and Wolmar
[*]1.25 billion PM to the County of Harrien to fund economic enterprises across the county, including in Reval, Dorpat, Narva, Kohtla-Järve, and Pernau
[*]500 million PM to Ösel to promote creation of jobs in the energy, defense, and agricultural sectors
[*]750 million PM to the County of Kurland to provide for the expansion of ports at Windau, Libau, and Riga-Strand; expansion of the civilian and military airfields located in Mitau; expansion of opportunities in energy and transportation
[*]600 million PM to Memelgebiet to encourage energy, agriculture, and shipping across the county and expand the capacity of the port in Memel
[*]1.15 billion PM to Preußen to restore historical landmarks, encourage energy, agricultural, and financial markets, and expand the port and airport of Königsberg.
[*]300 million PM to the autonomous region of Gotland to expand ports in Visby, Slite, and Fårö, as well as provide for renovations to Visby Airport and improve air and sea travel between Gotland and mainland Prussia
[*]A panel of seven officials will be appointed to Royal Aid Oversight Committees in each county/region in order to avoid misappropriation of royal funds.
[/list]

Democratic and Monarchist leaders have voiced their support of the plan; it allocates sufficient funds to the poorer regions of the country, while still ensuring that development in the more urban areas continues. A few influential Meritocrats and Nationalists have declared their opposition, some of them reasoning that the aid shouldn't just be handed out; counties like Ösel and Kurland should start the march of progress on their own accord with their own finances, they argue, rather than becoming reliant on royal assistance. Supporters argue that these counties should at least be granted the same chance as Livland and Preußen in terms of funding; once they have further developed their industries, they will become more self-reliant.

Governor Anton Geier of Gotland and his Conservative colleagues have mixed feelings on the bill. Governor Geier admits that, "...Gotland is in a fragile state right now, fresh from the transition from Swedish reign to autonomy, and while the kinks are being worked out of our system, a little charity would not hurt." Geier says that he will support the bill, despite the implementation of a RAOC in Gotland, which has many Conservatives on edge about the line between Prussian guidance and Gotlandic autonomy. They are expected to go along with the plan, though, as their Nationalist allies are pushing hard for them to accept the proposition, and the CPG's control of the Landtag is dependent on the full cooperation of both the Nationalists and the Gotlandic Independence Movement.


[u][i][b]Legislative Motion 45[/b][/i][/u]
[i]Royal Assistance Plan[/i]
-Proposed by King Alaric I von Ösel
For: 58
Against: 31
Abstain: 11
Approved by the King
[color="#00FF00"][b]PASSED[/b][/color]

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  • 2 weeks later...

[i][b]Classified[/b][/i]
With the current state of unrest in the German Reich, the defense condition has been raised to level 3. The 1st and 2nd Heerdivisions have been repositioned to the southern border with Germany to deal with any emigrants and ensure that the conflict did not spill over into Prussian borders. An additional regiment from the 4th Division has been reassigned to Gotland to help cope with Scandinavian refugees into Gotland. Reports estimate that around 145,000 Germans have crossed the southern Prussian border, while 38,000 Swedes and Germans have escaped into Gotland thus far.

The 1st SEK Brigade under Brigadegeneral Wedekind have taken control of Åland, while the local provisional council seeks an agreement with both the Prussian and German leaders. One squadron of Lu-65 fighters have been reassigned to the Åland islands to ensure that the German rebels made no attempts to retake the islands.

The Valkurheim Defense Forces have been integrated into the Prussian Royal Army as the Eleventh Division, II Corps, under the command of Generalleutnant Godafrid Ebner, and are now undergoing equipment standardization via Prussian arms companies in Vostokslavia.

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[u][i][b][size="5"]Prussia Receives Refugees[/size][/b][/i][/u]
An estimated 215,000 Germans and Swedes have crossed the borders into Prussia since the start of the conflict; according to the Ministry of the Interior, 135,000 have entered Preußen and Memelgebiet, 64,000 into Gotland, and 16,000 into the Ålands, reaching the latter two through both ferry and private boats. So far, most of the refugees have been checked in with the Prussian border units, but 837 have been caught attempting to shirk around them; 215 of these have been arrested for various causes ranging from resisting arrest to possession of a firearm in public. Most were merely issued a fine and directed to fill out a customs form for entering the country, then released with a 5-year work visa with one strike on it. Around 43,000 of the immigrants have applied for permanent residence in Prussia, and another 2,700 who qualified for citizenship applied for it. Grafs Faramund Adenauer of Preußen and Kasimir Förstner of Memelgebiet have both pledged to provide low-cost housing for the immigrant populations, causing them to center around Königsberg, Memel, and Wilna. Königsberg and Wilna are both undergoing expansions of infrastructure, meaning that there are numerous job openings for the German workers in this area.

Gotland's ruling Conservative Party has been hesitant to open up to the foreigners so easily; Governor Anton Geier has refused to divert funds from other regional projects in order to make it easier for the immigrants to "steal Gotlandic jobs," and a number of CPG senators are calling to forward many Swedish immigrants to the Prussian mainland, but Governor Geier has refused to utterly turn his back on Gotland's Swedish kin, and so has allowed the refugees to stay, though he has issued only 1-year visas instead of the royal government's 5-year visa. As for Åland, any refugees who reached the islands were often forced to sleep in large, common tents in and around Mariehamn due to a lack of space at the present moment. [i]Generalmajor[/i] Norman Wedekind has diverted a fraction of his personnel to help build housing units in the city, and a number of Prussian businesses have donated funds to the effort, the largest being Prussian Industrial Hemp Solutions's 3.4 million PM donation to Mariehamn, Jomala, and Hammarland.

[u][i][b][size="5"]Nationalists Continue Rightward Shift[/size][/b][/i][/u]
The [i]Nationalist Partei Preußen[/i] has been drifting to the right for awhile now, though they've generally maintained a centrist or liberal nationalist position. Now, despite NPP Chairman Sigismund Schräder's efforts to the contrary, the party has reached a point of being more national conservative than liberal nationalist; support for business is steadily increasing amongst their ranks, and many newcomers are rightists or former Nordlandische Partei members, even a few Prussian Orthodox Church clergymen. A growing number now oppose the heavy centralization of the Prussian monarchy, and about a third of the NPP now indicates that they would prefer a greater deferral of power to the counties and heavy cuts in royal social spending. Needless to say, this shift has begun causing friction between the Nationalists and their leftist DLP allies; the DLP has also experienced a noticeable shift in their ideology, moving from hardline communism to a more moderate position of Democratic Socialism, owing in no small part to moderate socialist Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien's influence; Chairman Willamar Foth is now being pressured to resign his chairmanship to the chancellor, for the DLP has expanded enough so that democratic socialists outnumber communists 4 to 1.

When asked about the future of the DLP-NPP partnership, Chancellor Tolkien said, "I have complete confidence in Freiherr Sigismund von Schräder's ability to reign in his party and set them back on the proper path. This is not the end of our cooperation; we'll continue to stand alongside the Nationalists wherever possible."

Yet, while the DLP-NPP alliance falters, the PMP, PMU, and NRP have grown closer together, with the Monarchists taking the central role of the de facto opposition. The PMP, who advocate a hereditary monarchy, have endorsed King Alaric's future bloodline as the proper family to lead Prussia through the ages, therefore doubtlessly receiving a degree of support from the crown. Political analysts tend to agree that Chairman [i]Graf[/i] Faramund Adenauer made this move in order to gain the support of Alaric's admirers in the next election, in which the Monarchists stand a chance of seizing a plurality of seats in the Reichstag.


[u][i][b][size="5"]A Queen To Be?[/size][/b][/i][/u]
Speculation of a possible betrothal of King Alaric I von Ösel to his own secretary, Alexia Westerberg, has run rampant in the tabloids, but the king, in his usual style, has so far dismissed all questions into his personal affairs. A small number of Nationalists, those rightists who have always been opposed to what they call "the king's scandalous behavior," but many Prussians are overall indifferent towards the whole ordeal.

"Honestly, I don't see it as being any different from two average folks getting involved with each other," one Riga resident told reporters. "People shouldn't try to stir up !@#$ about King Alaric and Ms. Westerberg simply because they're both high-profile figures. If it were any of us, we'd be furious if everyone else was getting involved in our relationships."

Despite the story's run through the tabloids, it has failed to garner much national concern, especially next to the instability in neighboring Germany.

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[size="5"][u][i][b][center]Swedish Uprising Referendum Results[/center][/b][/i][/u][/size]
A Reichstag-sponsored popular referendum has been held to determine the public's opinion on Prussian involvement in Sweden, Ålands, and Valkurheim. The results are as follows.

[list]
[*]I support intervention in Sweden and the initiatives of Åland and Valkurheim to integrate with Prussia. [b](18.4%)[/b]
[*]I support Åland and Valkurheim's initiatives to integrate with Prussia, but oppose intervention in Sweden. [b](63.1%)[/b]
[*]I oppose both intervention in Sweden and the integration of Åland and Valkurheim. [b](12.3%)[/b]
[*]I am undecided. [b](6.2%)[/b]
[/list]

With a clear majority opposed to further military action in Sweden, King Alaric has called for a halt on all military action against Sweden, agreeing with Foreign Minister Ludvig Mikaelsson's assessment that the German Reich could keep this revolt well in hand without Prussia's assistance.

"From this point forward, Prussia will engage in no military operations against Germany's rebels unless they launch another attack against Prussian soil," King Alaric said in response to the referendum. "Any such strikes will be matched by our defense forces, but we will not escalate or expand our involvement."

He also declared his intent to seek a formal agreement with Germany to advance the hopes of Åland and Valkurheim to join the Prussian kingdom. In a similar referendum in Åland, 36.4% wished to become a Royal Free District directly administered by the central government; 35.7% wanted to be administered by the autonomous republic of Gotland; 20.4% wanted to simply become a Prussian protectorate, and 7.5% wanted either total independence or union with Sweden. In Valkurheim, the efforts of state-owned PIHS to feed, clothe, and fuel the city have endeared the Prussian monarchy to the local populace. In their referendum, sponsored by the locally-upheld provisional triumvirate, 62.1% wanted to become a Royal Free City of Prussia, 19.6% wanted semi-autonomy, 16.2% wanted to rejoin Germany, 0.8% wanted unity with Vostokslavia, and the remaining 1.3% were invalid ballots.


[center][size="5"][u][i][b]Social Security Initiative[/b][/i][/u][/size][/center]
Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien has proposed a Social Security Act to the Reichstag, containing provisions for financial assistance to certain, qualified individuals and retired workers. The act would guarantee a moderate royal subsidy to anyone earning under PM25,000 a year, any family with a combined annual income of less than PM50,000, any unemployed person seeking work, etc. This motion has the full support of the DLP and many of the PMP, but it has caused major division amongst the Nationalists. Just under half of the NPP legislators favored the implementation of a Social Security System, while the rest are loudly against it, now claiming that the royal government needed to be slightly restrained in its authority. NPP Chairman [i]Freiherr[/i] Sigismund von Schräder is reported to have angrily addressed his associates of the Reichstag, accusing that majority of "losing sight of the NPP's liberal nationalist roots," and his rant is said to have caused a dozen of the legislators to leave the private conference.

Political analysts from PRNN and several private news agencies have speculated that the Social Security Act of 20XX may be the "straw that breaks the Nationalist camel's back." Some are predicting a formal split in the NPP before the elections, led by Lothar Wechsler, a legislator and former director at the Dreher Banking Institution, not to mention an outspoken critic of Chairman Freiherr von Schräder. The true liberal nationalists will remain in the Nationalist Party, for the most part, while the more conservative members break away and form their own party. In the meantime, right-wing Nationalists continue to filibuster the Social Security Act, delaying as they try to scrap together support against the bill from outside their party, namely the remaining Monarchists, the Meritocrats, and the Nordlandic Revivalists. Their plan to enlist the remaining PMP legislators may not come to much, however, as King Alaric has also declared support for the motion, and a number of Monarchists will swing their votes to yes in favor of the king.

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[center][size="5"][u][i][b]Nationalist Partei Preußen Fragments[/b][/i][/u][/size][/center]
As the vote for the Social Security Act nears, the NPP's right-wing and some centrist members in Lothar Wechsler's camp have officially split away from the party under Chairman [i]Freiherr[/i] Sigismund von Schräder's leadership, cutting their numbers in roughly half. Wechsler has organized the [i]Demokratische Union Preußens[/i] (DUP) in opposition to the NPP and DLP, renouncing the old nationalist banner in favor of decentralization, privatization of many public sector businesses, and deregulation of private industry; immediately after organizing, the DUP recognized Wechsler as the party chairman.
"[i]Freiherr[/i] von Schräder has refused to realize that we can't afford to give a free ride to everyone through everything," Chairman Wechsler said at the first DUP rally in Reval. "We must encourage everyone to strive forward and seize their own objectives on their own power, contributing their efforts to society rather than burdening it. We already have enough assistance programs, and the Social Security Act will only weigh Prussia down in the future."

However, the aggressively conservative stance being laid out by Wechsler disillusioned the more moderate, centrists in the new party, and soon after, it was further divided when Sören Prinz, former Secretary-General of the NPP, established the [i]Progressiv Konservative Partei Preußens[/i] (PKPP), stressing the necessity of a social safety net and moderate regulation of private industry, as well as reasonable distribution of power between the central and county governments. The PKPP's ranks have been reinforced by the defection of numerous centrists who had remained with the Nationalists.

The DUP vainly attempted to scrape up sufficient votes against the Social Security Act, appealing to the Meritocrats, Monarchists, Nordlandic Revivalists, and even the Free Peoples' Organization. However, with the DLP united firmly behind the proposal and the PMP rallying around King Alaric's support of the bill, plus the general disunity on the Prussian right, it will be nigh on impossible to defeat the proposal.


[b][u]Legislative Motion 46[/u][/b]
[i]Social Security Act[/i]
Proposed By: Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien
For: 64
Against: 26
Abstain: 10
Approved by the King
[color="#008000"][b]Motion Passed[/b][/color]

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