What would you like me to focus on for future chapters?

  • History of the early West Baltic (1950s-60s)

    Votes: 51 33.8%
  • History of the late West Baltic and modern Prussia (1980s-present)

    Votes: 92 60.9%
  • Miscellaneous Information (please elaborate)

    Votes: 15 9.9%
  • Waifus. :3

    Votes: 42 27.8%

  • Total voters
    151
Status
Not open for further replies.
Sorry for the wait. A bit of a dry spell in imagination right now. Anyway, something for the next post I'm planning. The DDR's government institutions seems very Sith-y to me.

 
Chapter 4-5
You thought this was dead? You thought wrong! :p

____________________________​

Enroute to Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus, Luisenstraße, East Berlin
German Democratic Republic
14th November, 1956


...earlier this afternoon, Hungarian police has announced the arrest of an additional four thousand subversives for taking part in the unrest of October 23rd. New Hungarian chairman János Kádár, has already stated his intention to see justice delivered. However, the new leader has also expressed a desire to unite and support ordinary Hungarians, and forgive those misled by reactionary agitators during the riots. In his own words, reconciliation, not revenge, should be the order of the day...

The winter chill was fast approaching in Berlin, and the scars of the Great Patriotic War was as prominent as ever. Bombed out ruins of the old fascist regime still stood throughout the shattered capital, the facade of the decrepit Reichstag standing just a few meters within the Western zone. As a lone sedan rode past the open grounds of Marx-Engels-Platz [1], one can see the socialist reality being brought to life. But despite the rise of gleaming apartments to advertise the bright future offered by communism, few were blind to the growing disparity between the two Berlins, and the two Germanies as a whole.

“You didn't have to take the job, Captain,” an old commander spoke as he sat on the back of the sedan, his familiar black uniform easily mistaken for the sinister SS before them. His officer cap on his lap, he appeared embittered and war-weary, his wrinkles ageing his far beyond his real rage as it intermingled with his scars. Combing his greying hair, he spoke to the stranger beside him, “I only wanted my son to do something useful, rather than spend his time clubbing prisoners like a Neanderthal. Fucking boy doesn't know subtlety if he were sitting on it for a dump. Sometimes, I think his mother had spoiled him too much. I wish he were as sensible as you.”

“I wouldn't consider myself sensible, major general,” the woman curtly expressed, “I'm no older than him. I would not dare to pretend that I have your experience, Sir. I just felt someone had to do it, if not him.”

Captain Arnhild Weiss, just twenty-four years of age, appeared the part of the talented heir. Her father, Dr. Ulrich Weiss, had been a valued appartchik, a German communist who fled suppression by the Nazi authorities and helped rebuild East Germany along socialist lines. Arnhild herself had stellar credentials, a former youth leader in the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation before joining the Stasi itself. The fact that she was of equal rank and similar age to the major general's son – someone who had considerable help climbing the ladder – spoke a lot about her abilities. Had he had a choice, the elder would not have preferred a better daughter over him.

“Don't sell yourself short,” he told her, “I'm sure your father is very proud of you, adopted or not. Your birth parents, too, hopefully, if you ever find them. The war had broken up many families. Must be hard for you.”

“I try not to think about it,” Arnhild quickly answered, almost on reflex as her tone dropped at the idea, “Dr Weiss is my father now, and always. Nothing will change that fact.”

But behind the curt reply was a woman far less assured of her place as a Weiss. While she could not remember a time before her adoptive family, Arnhild could not help but dread a return of her birth family. She dread not find out why. She had no reason to listen to excuses. And with her position and status, she knew there were many who eyed her seat. Glancing at the senior general, she could almost hear the cackles of his son right now, at any mention of Arnhild's dubious origins.

Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-76164-0002%2C_Berlin%2C_Luisenstra%C3%9Fe%2C_Volkskammer.jpg


Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus [1], the current headquarters of the East German parliament. The home of many scientific and medical associations in the past, the building was gutted by Soviet looters during the war of its painting and furniture at the end of the war. Now re-purposed as the site of nascent communist government, the Haus der Volkshammer, it was a natural, if only meeting place for the mysterious Soviet delegation arriving with their latest, perhaps most ambitious project yet. Their request for aid from the Warsaw Pact appeared questionable, if not sinister.

Stepping into a conference room with the major general. It was not hard for the officer to spot the Russians among the officials gathered. In the middle of the table, a tall, sleek-haired blonde man in a Soviet officer uniform was standing beside the rotund, balding leader of the GDR himself, Wilhelm Pieck, as the Russian carefully detailed each document in his hand. Other ministers and politburo members, too, were busy examining the plans, as Arnhild scanned the room briefly for personalities. Off the bat, she counted Walter Ulbricht, with his signature Lenin-style beard, and the unassuming, bureaucratic Erich Honecker [2]. But one face in the crowd almost made her cringe. Among the elderly and middle aged men in stiff suits and uniforms was the eerie brown coif of a significantly younger woman, still in her late twenties. And she knew Arnhild too well, given her position in the Young Pioneers.

“Sirs,” she spoke, as she and the major general saluted the delegates looking up at them.

Weiss,” Margot Honecker squealed gingerly like a grandmother seeing her ward after a long absence, stepping forward to usher in the young girl in front of the folks [3], “what a surprise! I wasn't expecting you. But it's a nice surprise regardless. Nice, very nice.”

“Major General Scherer,” Ulbricht addressed the senior, “I thought you said you wished to appoint your son on the Soviet project. What happened?”

“Ah, yes...” the hapless general tried to respond, “my son is... preoccupied with more important duties at the moment. I am afraid I am not able to bring him on board. Captain Weiss, however, has generously volunteered for the task. A bit menial for someone of her caliber, but she feels she is up to the task.”

“Yes, we've all heard of Captain Weiss' caliber,” Honecker stated, “my wife wouldn't shut up about her. Wanted to recommend her for the job. Guess she got her wish. In any case,” remarked the protege, introducing the Soviet officer, “this is Colonel Vladimir Petrovich Tonchev, KGB political officer and Soviet air force adviser. His protege has filed a project to the Soviet politburo on a major resettlement project on E-... Kaliningrad Military Oblast. He has requested for support from the members of the Warsaw Pact, including funding and infrastructure. That, surprisingly, includes us.”

“Request,” Arnhild blurted, raising an eyebrow at the Russian, “pardon me for asking, but shouldn't this be the task of their foreign ministry?”

Before Honecker could speak, the Soviet officer quietly raised a hand to stop him, declaring in a calm baritone and crisp German, “the foreign ministry has empowered me to make arrangements with the respective governments independently, with their support, of course. I felt it is necessary to get my message through personally, in hopes for the success of our resettlement project. If all goes well, the new Kaliningrad will be the envy of the world. A world without hate, bigotry or malice. Is that not the dream of the world?”

Glaring at the composed Russian, Arnhild tried hard not to grimace at the words. It reeked of bland Soviet rhetoric, and in all honesty, she had spent her life listening to that, when West Berlin was proving their words to be utter nonsense. Something bode ill about his plans, and the team of cabinet ministers present indicated a great deal of interest. It was not hard for Arnhild to tell the DDR leadership wanted to hear him out. The question was, why?

“Pardon if I am being too blunt, sir,” Arnhild queried, seemingly in disbelief, “but our country is bleeding men to the West as it is. We are not in the position to devote more migrants eastwards. If our brightest minds leave, who will be left?”

It was a daring question, not the least in the presence of the cabinet. Hushed whispers befell the room as the minsters nervously spoke among themselves. A dangerous move that could easily upend a promising officer's career, Arnhild could tell the ministers were discomforted. As the Soviet officer peered back, the cabinet could only dither at a response. Even the major general was starting to panic.

“Please, gentlemen,” Margot spoke out to the cabinet, her Stepford smile wavering a bit as she tried to calm them, “she is young; idealistic. She's merely as worried about the emigrations as we are. Aren't you, Miss Weiss.”

“Of course,” Arnhild stated, electing not to speak further as she observed the apprehension of her seniors, “I mean no disrespect, I-”

“I understand your concerns, Captain. I understand...” grunted the unnerved president, wiping the sweat off his balding head, “rest assured, your superiors have that thought out, is that not, Mr Honecker?”

“Umm... Yes, Comrade President,” Honecker sharply announced, “rest assured, Captain Weiss. Our country will not forfeit more of our future to the capitalists. We need only to divert the migrations east, as the good colonel kindly suggested to us. Kaliningrad will be the pearl of the socialist future. It is then only the matter of convincing the doubtful of that future, after which they are free to return here to emulate it, rather than, as you clearly dread, escape west. Is that fine with you, Colonel?”

“Absolutely, sir," Vladimir graciously replied, "it's not our policy to restrict their right of return to their homelands. How you intend to meet our population quotas is up to you, minister. We are only here to manage the city. We need only your support.”

Eyeing the two as she bowed her head, it was not hard for Arnhild to guess what they meant. Her crude query, at the risk of offence, was merely to confirm what she suspected at first. The 'resettlement' project, just several years after the Soviets explicitly expelled a German community that had lived in Kaliningrad since the time of the Teutonic Knights, was not something that was expected to be advertised to the East German regime. For them to ask the Eastern Bloc for migrants was even more so, when the vast Soviet population was more than enough to fill the city. But for every question answered, several more quickly reared their ugly heads. What were they planning for Kaliningrad, if not just a simple reeducation camp? Something just seemed amiss.

Arnhild may yet face more surprises...

Cold War Exhibition, National Museum
Kyonigsberg, Prussia
23 January, 2016


“...The program, as Vladimir advertised, was a stark contrast to the harmonious society Yevgeny was aiming for,” Professor Vorarlberg explained to the class, “envisioning a model Soviet city, Kaliningrad was intended, above all else, as a territory-wide 'reeducation facility'. Pouring the best resources the Soviet bloc could muster, Tonchev sought to advertise the 'ideal' Soviet model to dissatisfied elements of the Eastern Bloc, while concentrating surveillance by the KGB and Eastern Bloc agencies in the territory. It was, in all respects, a correctional facility in all but name, with travel to and from Kaliningrad restricted under closed city rules. It was this contrasting views that was to become the source of strife between Yevgeny and his mentor in the formation of the SSR, and one that would carry on far into the fall of the Soviet Union and beyond.”

“But the story of the West Baltic is not just of repression and leaders, but the lives of those who has been irreversibly changed by the experiences in the country,” he elaborated, picking up the boxes of coloured table tennis balls as he handed them to their teachers, “your grandparents, your parents... their lives are all intricately weaved into the story of this land, and are still shaping the identity of modern-day Prussia. That is what you're here to find out about, and what you learn in the story of the West Baltic's rise will prove useful in learning about its end. For without the framework built by the committee, Prussia would just be another province of a much larger country in Eastern Europe, such is the reality of nations.”

“Anyway,” he remarked, “it's currently about 10.30 am. You are free to look around the exhibition until 11.30 am, after which we will assemble at the main lobby and your teachers will debrief and dismiss you. Try to get as much info as you can here, and then, if you want, you can look at the other exhibits around. Remember, you got a group assignment to work on, so I suggest focusing on the ethnic group you're working on. And if you have time, look at the last exhibition in the next room for your second and final one. I won't give out details yet, but it will give you an idea of what to expect when we go through Prussia's independence. I'll see you all in an hour then.”

Sitting back down on a bench as he dismissed the class, Roman could feel the energy draining from his body. He felt tired for some reason, having mustered every bit of his nerves not to feel intimidated, but for some reason, he managed, even as time seemingly slowed to a crawl to prolong his agony. It was not easy dealing with the privileged. While he could trust public schools to have a more sensible education, private institutions appeared to have become too heavily politicised for his liking. He could not fault them, though. However he disagreed with their views, they were still entitled to them. It was not as if he was not complicit in a government effort to impress their version of events on the masses, such was the nature of politics.

“I'd rather wear a hard hat right now,” he remarked to himself, thinking over his other assignment at Königsberg Castle [3]. The restorations and excavations now seemed far less daunting than school children with the 'commissars' now breathing down his neck. He could only hope he would not see them again, and pity the person assigned to lecture them.
Rst8psI.png

Part 5
OOC Notes:
  1. The Palace of the Republic, the seat of the Volkshammer from 1976 to 1990, wasn't built yet, though the Berlin City Palace had already been demolished in 1950. At the time, the space was known as Marx-Engel-Plafz. Only a portal from a balcony, where Karl Liebknecht declared the German Socialist Republic, was preserved.
  2. Stretching it a bit, I suppose, since he wasn't due to return until 1958. I suppose Vlad may have called him in to put in a good word for his mentor. Let's put it at that.
  3. I needed a Stepford smiler. Enough said. :p
  4. Auf Wiedersehen, sowjetischen Roboter
Cast:
  • Historical
    • Wilhelm Pieck - State president of the German Democratic Republic
    • Walter Ulbricht - General Secretary of the SED Central Committee
    • Erich Honecker - Ulbricht's protege
    • Margot Honecker (nee Feist) - Head of the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation
  • Fictional
 
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bookmark95

Banned
I think this is a very unique thread. I've never read one in which someone tried to forge a new national identity before. I think you handled in wonderfully. I can't wait for more.

By the way, what is the population of Prussia as of 2016?
 
I think this is a very unique thread. I've never read one in which someone tried to forge a new national identity before. I think you handled in wonderfully. I can't wait for more.

By the way, what is the population of Prussia as of 2016?

Thanks. :3

I haven't worked out the details, but I've put it at 6 million currently, about 6-7 times as many as OTL's Kaliningrad. I don't expect the Russian population to be any less than OTL, so I had to bump up the numbers for everyone else.
 
Interlude 3 - Legacy
Anyway, because I'm a total idiot, I've just discovered that Pillau can be written in Cyrillic. For that reason, I'm ratifying all the names. Sorry. ._.

Also, new post!

Revolution Exhibition, National Museum
Kyonigsberg, Prussia
23 January, 2016


640px-1990_01_12_Gorba%C4%8Diovas%C5%A0iauliuose10.jpg

The Singing Revolution. That was the name of the movement that restored the independence of the Baltic republics. For the original three nation-states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, their fight was one of restoration, not separation. Their existence within the Soviet Union was one of occupation and force, powerless victims of Stalin's land grab against its immediate neighbours at a time when greater evils force the Western democracies to unite with him. Therefore, Gorbachev's intentions, however well-meaning, could never hide the reality of their unwelcome arrival and invited only revolt once their silence was broken.

The same could not be said for Prussia.

Unlike the rest of the republics, the West Baltic was a state created without a nationality in mind. With the trust vested into Chairman Valeriy Tonchev, there was little doubt in Moscow of the republic's loyalties, even when the complex ethnographic that Yevgeny had tried to set up had seemingly failed to create a separate 'geographic nationality'. With many of its inhabitants returning to their home countries to encourage revolution or for better lives, the West Baltic's population plunged dramatically. Almost a quarter of the West Baltic's population would leave, including most of those removed from satellite states and the Baltics. Its Jewish population would vanish almost instantly, and Armenians and Azeris alike would take up arms to fight to redraw their homelands' borders in their favour. Those that remain, most of them Russophones and Central Asians, were the least likely to join the rest in revolt. And yet, they too joined the revolution, and succeeded in breaking free of Soviet rule with the sister republics.

l1VjbSc.png

Looking through the bright, post-modernist room beyond the drab Cold War décor of the last exhibit, the holed flags of the West Baltic and its post-Soviet successor draped alongside the portraits of the revolutionaries who fought for a Baltic future. The dove symbol of New Prussia, the West Baltic's independence movement, spoke volumes of the non-violent resistance it undertook against the Soviet authorities.[1] The scenes and mock-ups of those turbulent years, the barricades and protests that sapped the will of the Soviet garrison, told of a story of a country that most believed was never meant to be. But when everyone else doubted, a few persevered, and Prussia's present was vindication of their actions, a future seized from the abyss.

Looking through the portraits and photographs of the period, Sonya was starting to realize just how strongly her special neighbour felt of her parentage, and her antagonism against her father's political rivals. The kind of passion put into an uncertain future outside Russia was immense, and there were many who rejected them, unwilling to take the chance. Their leader, a simple brown-haired Estonian Swede from Yantarny (today's Palmniken), personified Moscow's very worst fears. The towering Nord and 'white Shah' who championed for Prussia's freedom, there was still much the world failed to understand about Henrik Abraham Gram. For many, Gram embodied Prussia, someone who defied the boundaries of ethnicity and religion that the Soviet Union so categorically divided the land into. As inter-ethnic civil war seized Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, it was Gram's new government that would break the odds, stifling its spread to the vulnerable nation-state. And yet, too many saw only his identity card, rather than his actions in Prussia. Whether a Baltic agitator, a Germanic revanchist or even a Sunni Muslim fanatic, much of Gram's fame or infamy came simply from others' perceptions of his identity than his actual ability at governance.

“Your father's a handsome man, Farah,” mused Sonya, stepping beside her neighbour as she stared longingly at her father's ornate portrait, “how often do you see him?”

“Not much,” Farah admitted solemnly, “he's always so busy, running around the world. He believed in hope, even when the world of late had become so hopeless. I always wondered if I could match up to him.”

“You don't have to, Farah,” Sonya quipped, “just do what you want to do. No one's asking you to be PM. No need to take it too hard on yourself.”

“I know that,” griped the girl, tensing up at the thought, “I know that... It's just...”

Farah, of all people, doubted Sonya's words the most. However hard she tried to step out of her father's shadow, a strange burden nonetheless hung on her like a lead weight. She could not deny she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps, but everyone around her seemed to expect the same sort of charisma and mysticism Gram had from her. After all, her maternal relatives, the Gilanis, were no less tied to Gram's legacy than she was. Nasrin, Javaneh, and her mother Farzaneh... It seemed like a morbid joke that the there's a tradition in the family of female politicians.

“...they really do look like you, Tarana, Maria!”

“It's not something to be proud of, crazy girl. Our mothers nearly died there.”

RedArmy_Paratroops_Baku_1990.jpg

Peering over to the other side of the room, Farah could not help but purse her lips at the sight. She had tried to avoid seeing Vasilka and her friends, but no matter how hard she tried, it seemed as if God was eager to toy with them. Looking over one of the exhibits, the blue blazer-wearing girls were examining one of Prussia's darkest moments. A dated, grainy colour photograph among exhibits of riot gear and newspaper cuttings, the scene depicted a pair of girls running behind a police cordon, an Azeri girl, seemingly identical to Tarana, hiding her redhead Armenian classmate under a veil. Taken in the aftermath of the Sumgait pogroms in 1988, the West Baltic race riots, pitting Armenians against Azeris over the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, devolved in sectarian violence as Muslims and Christians alike were caught in the crossfire. While Stolypin's strict housing policies ensured that while no single ethnicity dominated and formed an enclave in any district, its relaxation under his successor resulted in religious divisions forming within the cities and counties. With no clear enclaves to target, marauding Azeris and Armenians took to attacking the mixed districts with impunity. It was against the backdrop of sectarian hatred that Gram was able to fill the void to mediate an end to the violence, turning anger against the Kremlin and advocating reconciliation in a fractured nation.

But the tragedy was not just an opportunity for New Prussia to win support and divert blame onto the decrepit Soviet administration. It was also a chance for Valeriy's son, Viktor, to showcase the efficiency and incorruptibility of the West Baltic's KGB branch under his control. Pinning down the riots and imposing martial law without Moscow's authorization, the younger Tonchev would prove both an ally and rival to Gram in determining the future of Prussia. While Gram supporting the dissemination of civil and political rights denied by Moscow, Tonchev championed law and order at a time when chaos and decadence was consuming the rest of the former USSR. He hit back at the unconditional acceptance of Bosnian refugees. He damned the European Union as a hive of moral degeneration and godlessness. He championed the resurgence of Christendom in the home of the Northern Crusade. And worst of all, he appealed for the restoration of ties with the very regime Prussia broke away from. That Tonchev – the 'prince' of the old political dynasty – would win over parliament and threaten to turn Prussia into his personal fiefdom was a bitter pill to swallow for Farahnaz. She could not imagine how anyone could justify Tonchev's actions, not the least Vasilka.

“Those were scary times,” Maria mused, “my mother had to cut through waves of angry mobs to get to safety. She might not have made it if not for Tarana's mother.”

“Same here,” Tarana stated, “hiding goes both ways. Do you know what people would do to a pair of girls in those days?”

“But, Vasilka's uncle managed to act very quickly then, didn't he,” Ludmilla said, “even though he knew he was going rogue.”

“My uncle answered to the my granduncle, and he, as chairman of the SSR, gave the clear,” Vasilka stated, “there was nothing 'rogue' about his actions. People were dying back then. Do you think it would have been right for him to just stand and watch? He said so himself... he wasn't going to waste time waiting for people to talk nice while lynch mobs are roaming the streets.”

Glancing at Farah, Sonya could tell she was feeling provoked. Holding her hand as she blocked her way, she blurted, “let's go look around~! Let them talk all they want. It's not your business what they think... I mean, it is a very sad episode...”

“Then was it right for him to start shooting people,” Farah growled bitterly, gripping Sonya's hand as if trying to force the anger out of her, “those rioters were being goaded! How can anyone explain that shooting someone's son is justified!? There could have been another way!”

“Farah,” Sonya pleaded, gripping her arms as she gave her a serious stare, “calm down. They're not trying to provoke you. No need to take the fight to them. I'm sure your father did his best. No need to explain to them about it. It'll only tire yourself out, ok?”

It was too hard for Farah. She hated being dissuaded from her views, much less by her own friends. Whether it was a strong sense of self-justice or a great ego, she was not one to back down from a fight. But she could tell she was being unreasonable, trying to force her views on those who disagreed with her. As tears start to form, she hurriedly tried to wipe them off. She getting frustrated, and greatly so.

“Alright...” she said, “I won't get mad... I won't... I...”

Resting her head on her bosoms, Sonya felt unsure at what to do. She could tell how strongly Farah believed in her father, and his beliefs in non-violence. Despite the fiery persona of the freedom fighter portrayed in the media, Gram was not an advocate of violent insurrection, but non-violent resistance. Tonchev, in contrast, appeared ruthless and cold, viewing force as a means to an end, and all too willing to use it on anyone who opposes his vision and control. Sighing, she quietly led her back to her waiting classmates as she tried to gain distance from the nine. For her, the history course was digging up far too many wounds for comfort, and future ones were about to do more.

“What are you looking at,” Ausra spoke to Vasilka, as the blonde's clear blue eyes peered at the departing duo, “that girl again?”

“Ah, no...” Vasilka merely denied, “it's nothing.”

The legacy of modern Prussia appeared no closer to leaving them alone.

0RD6DqA.png

OOC Notes
  1. Enjoy my crappy pixel art. ._.
Cast
  • Singenwaldhang Girls High School (from left to right)
    • Aušra Švedaitė (CV: 高坂 穂乃果)
    • Ritva Pajari (CV: 園田 海未)
    • Mariyne Mugu (CV: 南 ことり)
    • Maria Hayrapetyan (CV: 西木野 真姫)
    • Tarana Irevani (CV: 矢澤 にこ)
    • Vasilka Lyobomirova Toncheva (CV: 絢瀬 絵里)
    • Ludmilla Aleksandrovna von Ungern-Sternberg (CV: 東條 希)
    • Leila Pääsuke (CV: 小泉 花陽)
    • Zisel Kaufmann (CV: 星空 凛)
  • Blühenderwald High School
  • Trostnika Public High School
 
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Cast
  • Singenwaldhang Girls High School (from left to right)
    • Aušra Švedaitė (CV: 高坂 穂乃果)
    • Ritva Pajari (CV: 園田 海未)
    • Mariyne Mugu (CV: 南 ことり)
    • Maria Hayrapetyan (CV: 西木野 真姫)
    • Tarana Irevani (CV: 矢澤 にこ)
    • Vasilka Lyobomirova Toncheva (CV: 絢瀬 絵里)
    • Ludmilla Aleksandrova von Ungern-Sternberg (CV: 東條 希)
    • Leila Pääsuke (CV: 小泉 花陽)
    • Zisel Kaufmann (CV: 星空 凛)
  • Blühenderwald High School
  • Trostnika Public High School

Is she in any way related to, you know...?
 
Is she in any way related to, you know...?

What took you so long to notice? :^)

From Chapter 4 (current one), Part 2:

Russian_prisoners_tannenberg.jpg

“The ironies of history,” Ludmilla quipped, putting an earphone on an exhibit to her ear as she listened in on the jubilant German announcer on the Russian surrender, “that an entire volume, centuries in weight, would be tossed out and written by a new author. Professor Roman had a point, what are we to pretend this is our past?”

“You have that benefit, though, Ludmilla,” Ritva commented, checking the displays of Mosin-Nagants alongside Gewehr 98s, “your family were Baltic Germans, weren't they?”

“That's exactly why I'm counted as an outsider too, Ritva, like the rest of us,” Ludmilla corrected her, “my family fought for the Tsar - no better than race traitors in the eyes of the Germans. My great-grandfather believed in the same Übermensch swill that the Nazis would preach later on, and yet believed even more in Russia, and her divinely-appointed monarch. He fought against the Germans, and then the Bolsheviks for that outdated ideal. If anyone is unwelcome here for the old phantoms, it's me. Too bad for them~, an Austrian corporal lost Prussia to us. Isn't that strange?”
 
Anyway, a to-do list for the timeline's next part. These will look into the settlement and lives of the various ethnic groups in West Baltic/Prussia. I was hoping to find out which you would like me to look into first. There's quite a lot to choose from.

  • East Slavs - May be broken down between Russians, and Ukrainians and Belarussians
  • West Slavs - Probably focused on the Poles, though Czechoslovaks will get a mention
  • South Slavs - time for the play of accordion and kebab removal Yugoslavs and Bulgarians. Yugoslavs will play a bigger role in post-Soviet Prussia.
  • Balts - A given
  • Central Asians and other Turkic groups - Could be bunched with Mongolic groups, and/or split along religious lines (e.g. Muslims, Buddhists and Shamanists)
  • Finno-Urgics in the Russian SFSR - May be lumped with the Balts, though I feel it warrants a separate part due to the different experiences they'll encounter
  • Caucasians - Georgians, Armenians and Azeris, may include the autonomous regions on the Russian side.
  • East Asians - Separate parts may be devoted to individual groups of concern (e.g. Koreans, Vietnamese)
  • Mongols - Could be bunched with Central Asians and/or East Asians
  • Romanians and Moldovans
  • Hungarians - Might be put with West Slavs, depending on length
  • Germans - Well, duh
Besides that, there's also other groups I would be looking into, though they have more of an effect in post-Soviet Prussia.
  • Western Europeans (including Americans)
  • Afrikaners - "EEEEVIIIIILLLLLL!"
  • Yugoslavs - Again
  • (insert suggestion here)
 
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Chapter 5-1
Main Atrium, National Museum
Kyonigsberg, Prussia
23 January, 2016


N3NKZeVh.png

"Let us choose? Why?"

It was late morning in the National Museum, and the crowds of visitors were starting to stream in for the weekend. With the mob of students breaking up for their project work, the museum guards could only stand and watch as the room began to choke in a human wave. Roman himself appeared to have vanished, eager to escape his charges for a breath of fresh air. And Oosthuizen, too, had taken off for the exhibition's exit, the unlucky yokel sent to take care of their school idols on his precious weekend.

"Yea..." the hapless lad tried to explain to the nine girls he was looking out for, opening the lid of his box, "I know the professor preferred to make it random, but I'll be honest, I'm just going to let you pick who you like to work on. I already asked, he just said to do what I feel is best.

"Kind of unfair," Ritva mused, her arms crossed as she gleaned over the coloured ping-pong balls, "if we picked a subject we're more familiar with, it might affect the others' grades adversely."

"Don't be silly," Tarana whined, "the grades will be moderated by our teachers, not the professor. He only gives the grade and lets the school decide whether to push it up or down. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, who knows who else would be trying that stunt? I need to worry about my grades, you know!"

"Since when do you care about your grades," Maria interjected snidely, "you were freaking out in study sessions back in our mid-terms."

"That's because the boob monster was at me," Tarana snapped back, pointing at a coy Ludmilla defensively, "you saw her."

"I felt you needed some motivation back then, Tarana," Ludmilla answered, her smile showing a veener of mischief, "if you're not going to make the effort, you definitely need some punishment for that~."

"How dare you," blasted the Azeri in anger, covering her dainty chest over her words.

"Ok, settle down, settle down," Daniel tried to calm the girls, "let's focus on these. The prof already told you what to look for, so which group do you want to work on?"

Pausing for a moment as they stared into the box, none of the girls seemed to have much of a clue. None seemed to afford a significant advantage for any of them, and in all honesty, their knowledge on the subject is somewhat bare. Before long, however, a hand reached in to pick up a ping-pong ball with a greenish-hue. It was Vasilka, her expression as calm as always, and her choice was hardly uncommon, much to some of the girls' dismay.

"Russians, huh," Ausra mused, "not for nothing, but aren't they well known as it is?"

"Russian settlement in East Prussia isn't as well known as you think, Ausra," she told the Lithuanian, "much of the exhibition focused on settlement of minorities that weren't in Kaliningrad in significant numbers prior to Stolypin's reforms. Not much is actually said on what he had done for his own people who were already there. Besides, my granduncle was part of the committee, and in charge of everyday affairs for the ethnic Russian community. We can ask him if you want."

"Yea, I guess," Ausra admitted with a sigh.

Peering around nervously, Mariyne questioned, "mh... but isn't your granduncle.. you know..."

"He's not dead," Tarana snapped, "he's just suffering from a stroke and paralyzed from waist down."

"Subtle," Maria grunted sarcastically, frowning over the dwarf's lack of tact, "but would your granduncle even be able to tell us anything? I mean, like Tarana said, he's quite ill, and not very talkative of late."

Gripping the ball, the blonde Russian replied in a solemn tone, "I know... he doesn't like to talk about the past. My father said there was a lot of stuff that happened back then that made my granduncle regret a lot. I didn't want to believe the rumours to be true - that he and my grandfather colluded to remove Stolypin and gain the premiership of the West Baltic. But the more I found out, the more I started to doubt myself... Even he doesn't seem to deny that. I could tell he felt guilty for something."

"So you want to prove everyone wrong," Ludmilla surmised, "especially that girl."

"This has nothing to do with her," Vasilka denied, shaken by Ludmilla's speculation as she tried not to look her in the eye, "I just..."

Watching her cut her tongue as she tried to refute in vain, Ausra could tell she wanted this more than any of them. She could not hope to imagine why, but she could tell Vasilka wanted more than anyone to clear her family name. Exchanging glances with her friends, they too nodded in agreement. They had heard enough, and they did not want to press Vasilka further.

"It's ok," Ausra assured her, holding her hands as they clasped the ball within, "we'll go with your idea. To be honest, we don't know which to do either. You seem to have an idea, so let's go with yours."

"Everyone..." Vasilka blurted, looking around in bewilderment. As the girls give their approving smiles, the blue-eyed blonde muttered in apology, "sorry... thank you... I-"

"No need to say any more," Ludmilla confirmed with her, "we got work to do. The museum may not have much, but it's a start." Picking up the ball from Vasilka to show the teacher, she said, "we'll pick this then, Mr Oosthuizen. Is that ok?"

"Of course..." Daniel blurted awkwardly, a bit unnerved by the unfolding drama, "I'll just note it down."

Thus, with a drop of the ping-pong back in the box, the girls set back into the exhibition from its exit, the warm messages of 'One People, Many Lands' in its myriad tongues came back into view. Among the many faces on the walls bidding approaching visitors goodbye, the images of a Russian man and woman in traditional clothing stood prominently among the mural. The story of the Russian community in Prussia was one of a people contending with its position as the numerically and politically dominant group of the Soviet Union. Under the rule of the 'self-hating Russian', many would find fault with Yevgeny as he sought to convert his fellows to his unorthodox ideals, and dismantle the hegemony that had survived the Tsarist downfall.

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Russian Exhibition, Cold War Exhibition, National Museum
Kyonigsberg, Prussia
23 January, 2016


article-urn:publicid:ap.org:678dbf4589b84d77a488b4f6802496eb-5DJCXdVJbafedc464c83553b0c76-181_634x421.jpg

Playing: Introduction to the Russian community in West Baltic SSR[1]​

“I don't believe he was a self-hating Russian; he took a lot of pride in his background, and made a lot of effort to promote Russian cultural activities, even the Orthodox church. But Stolypin believed that, at the core of his policy, was a fundamental need to move away from what he termed as the 'Tsarist mentality' of majority rule. He detested the notion that just because one ethnic group held numerical and political superiority, that group should seek to force the minorities to accept its way of life and assimilate. He doesn't dispute the effectiveness of Russification – he had recognized how harder it is to try to create a multicultural society than to simply absorb non-Russians into the fold. But he had always been opposed the idea on moral grounds – he felt the Russian people should be better than that, and as such, the union itself.”

- Video excerpt from Professor Vsevolod Churkin, Department of Modern History, Immanuel Kant State University of Kyonigsberg

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New Year's Eve in a Russian family in the village of Lulino, Gvardeysky District (Present day Sanditten, Taipausky District)[2]
The Russian presence in East Prussia dates back to the mid 18th Century, when Russia first occupied the region during the Seven Years' War against Prussia from 1758 to 1764. However, the end of the Second World War and the expulsion of the centuries-old German population led to the definitive change in demographics, flooding the empty cities and villages with settlers from across the Soviet Union. The very first, the Eastern Slavs, arrived as workers to rebuild the ruined region, and until the founding of the Committee of Resettlement under Yevgeny Stolypin, made up the virtual entirety of Kaliningrad Oblast's population.

However, Stolypin's resettlement plans had proven dramatic in tilting the demographics against the Russian population. While most recognize his attempts to create a 'more balanced society' as a failure (with East Slavs retaining the overall majority), few disputed the waning numerical advantage of the Russian populous. The 1959 census, taken in the same year as the West Baltic SSR's creation, placed the Russian population at about 463,168, 65.17% of a total population of 710,657. As many as 35,000 were estimated to have switched nationalities, most of whom to closely related groups such as Ukrainians and Belarusians, whose numbers had correspondingly risen to the decline in Russians). In fact, by 1963 – the year of Stolypin's removal as Chairman – it was estimated that Russian nationals had fallen to 442,000 out of an approximate 890,000, putting the Russian population below the 50% mark for the first time. This trend would continue with subsequent censuses, with the Russian population hovering at 43.19% by 1970. It would not be until the 1990s that the Russians regain overall majority in Prussia, with Russians amounting to 55.49% of the population in 1989, as minorities began emigrating back to their home countries and to the West.[3]

Regardless of the demographic changes, Stolypin's reforms had brought mixed feelings among the Russian population. His prioritization of minority rights to areas such as language, welfare, employment and housing, had led to considerable resentment among the Russian settlers. Many viewed him as a self-hating Russian, or at least too desperate to achieve his population quotas to truly care about them. Others became the so-called 'false nationalities', using their mixed heritage or just sheer guile to obtain privileges reserved for the minorities. But Stolypin never neglected the interests of his fellow people. Indeed, his attempts to promote Russian cultural heritage and personal welfare had not gone unnoticed. But the myth of the 'anti-Russian Russian' persisted well into the present day. And Stolypin's impatience and anger over the 'Tsarist mentality', undoubtedly, only served to feed to that image.

- Information text on the Russian community in the West Baltic SSR, Russian community exhibit

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Part 1

OOC Notes:
  1. Source for picture: 'Deer Hunter,' 'Close Encounters' cinematographer dies at 85 - Daily Mail
  2. Source for picture: S Novym Godom! In pictures, how the USSR marked the happy times at New Year - Siberian Times
  3. Like OTL, the Soviet census was taken in 1959 and 1970, with modifications made based on the numbers here. 1963 numbers are merely estimates, calculated from my spreadsheet.
  • Singenwaldhang Girls High School (from left to right)
    • Students
      • Aušra Švedaitė (CV: 高坂 穂乃果)
      • Ritva Pajari (CV: 園田 海未)
      • Mariyne Mugu (CV: 南 ことり)
      • Maria Hayrapetyan (CV: 西木野 真姫)
      • Tarana Irevani (CV: 矢澤 にこ)
      • Vasilka Lyobomirova Toncheva (CV: 絢瀬 絵里)
      • Ludmilla Aleksandrovna von Ungern-Sternberg (CV: 東條 希)
      • Leila Pääsuke (CV: 小泉 花陽)
      • Zisel Kaufmann (CV: 星空 凛)
    • Teachers
      • Daniël Oosthuizen (CV: 和泉 三月)
  • Others
    • Professor Vsevolod Churkin (CV: Vilmos Zsigmond) - Pictured in 'video'

______________________________________​
Sorry if it looks like I'm just jamming numbers in. My calculations aren't really that complex. Anyway, is new post. :3
 
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No, this timeline isn't dead. I'm just having trouble writing the posts. In any case, I already finished the timeline summary on my RP thread. Just wondering if there are issues with it.

Timeline
  • 1945 - East Prussia is annexed by the Soviet Union, becoming Kaliningrad Military Oblast
  • 1956 - Internationalization project begins. Under the Committee for the Resettlement and Demilitarization of Kaliningrad Oblast, thousands, including Stalinist-era deportees from Siberia, were resettled in Kaliningrad Miltary Oblast.
  • 1959 - Kaliningrad Military Oblast becomes the West Baltic SSR, with Stolypin as its first Chairman of the Republic.
  • 1963 - Internationalization project is shut down under orders from the Kremlin. Stolypin is arrested on various, circumstantial charges, and sent to Siberia. Valeriy Petrovich Tonchev, a fellow member of the committee of Bulgarian Lipovan descent, becomes the second (and last) chairman of the SSR.
  • 1989
    • The pro-independence Novaya Prussia party wins the West Baltic legislative elections against the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Henrik Abraham Gram becomes Chairman of the West Baltic Supreme Soviet
    • First racial riots in its history, the Armenian-Azeri riots. Anger over the Sumgait pogroms and the Nagorno-Karabakh War spilled into the West Baltic, prompting riots between Azeri and Armenian populations. Due to the dissolution of ethnic enclaves under 'Internationalization' and the distribution of ethnic groups, many Muslims and Christians of other ethnic groups were caught in the crossfire.
  • 1991
    • Soviet referendum for reformation as the Union of Sovereign Republic faltered in the West Baltic due to calls for a boycott by Gram and New Prussia.
    • The independence referendum, conducted during the August Coup, garnered 98% of the vote in favour (out of 64% of voters who turned up) allowing the West Baltic to secede. Gram becomes the first Prime Minister, and the Supreme Soviet is reformed as the Prussian Seym
  • 1995 - West Baltic-Prussia successfully negotiates with Poland and Lithuania for the use of the name 'Prussia' in all official state-to-state interactions, via the signing of a treaty affirming the renunciation of all claims to Klaipeda and Warmia-Masuria.
  • 1996
    • The opposition Fatherland Front party, a splinter of New Prussia, wins the election, forming the new government under Viktor Valeriyovich Tonchev, son of the last chairman of the SSR, Valeriy Petrovich Tonchev.
    • Last Russian troops operating in Prussia depart. Most have left since 1994 and a skeleton crew operating the Pillau/Baltiysk Naval Base was left behind as a forward refilling station until fully handed over in 1996.
  • 2000 - Prussia experiences exponential GDP growth, forming one quartet of the Baltic Tiger.
  • 2005 - The infamous 'buried robot', the House of Soviets, on the grounds of Königsberg castle is demolished. Plans to restore the castle are underway for a 2016 deadline, in time for the 25th anniversary of independence.
  • 2006 - New Prussia regains the majority in the Seym in legislative elections.
  • 2008 - Prussia joins the European Union
  • 2009 - Prussia joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Scores of protests break out within Prussia, both in support of and against the accession. Similar protests break out in major cities in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, condemning Prussia for its participation.
  • 2016 - Prussia celebrates 25 years of independence. Current time.
 
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Trivia: Flags
Sweet! Take your time to restart, though. Don't rush everything.

On a sidenote question: What are the flags of Prussia? (From 1945 to 2016/2017)

Here you go. :3

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Flag of the West Baltic SSR (1959-1991)

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Flag used in pro-independence rallies in the Prussian Revolution of 1989-1991

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Flag of West Baltic-Prussia (1991-1993)

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Flag of West Baltic-Prussia/Prussia (1993-Present) - by @Neoteros
 
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Why did Prussia go through 3 flags in its transition toward independence?

It takes time to adopt a flag. Removing the Soviet hammer and sickle was easy, but the 1991-1993 flag was still too close to the original SSR. Trying to create a flag that doesn't alienate the majority Slavic population (i.e. every historical German flag prior to 1945) is the hard part, so they settled for changing the top two colours with the Germanic black and white.

Oh ya, a point to note that the flag with the hole is unofficial. It's just a simple cutting of the Soviet symbols to make a statement during protests and rallies. Still, it's a poignant symbol of independent Prussia, a rejection of Soviet negligence and persecution.
 
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Chapter 5-2 Preview
Lenin Avenue (Leninskiy Prospekt), Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Military Oblast, USSR
4th January, 1957 C.E.
Valeriy Tonchev


The Orthodox new year was approaching, and the usual Christmas cheer was dawning on the city of Kaliningrad. Driving in a military car dressed in a thick coat, Valeriy Tonchev was fighting the bitter winter cold. Peering out, he could see the skeletons of the cookie-cutter Khrushchyovka springing up all around him. And soon, all of that that will be filled with people – people he and Yevgeny would be beckoning to a new future.

Peering at the ice-choked window, Valeriy could barely hide his anticipation. In all honesty, he would have preferred to spend time with his ailing father back in Odessa. But with his new tasks, the young man found himself on his desk for days on end. He was not sure why, but the mere thought of exciting his brother and colleagues with his new project had left him fairly sleepless.

Stepping out towards a gaudy, grey cuboid of a building, it was not hard for Valeriy to tell this was Soviet-made. Most of old Königsberg was in ruins and demolished anyway, with landmarks still awaiting deliberation from the capital on their fates. But Valeriy still had some measure of pride, and he had hoped Yevgeny would have repurposed an old Prussian landmark for their use. In his own honesty, he felt a bit ashamed to be setting up an important administration in a place this indistinguishable from a residential block.

“Not many choices, I suppose,” he remarked, sighing as he stepped out of his car with his documents, “hope I can get back by Christmas.”

However, something else weighed heavily in his heart, as he gripped the files on hand. In them contained a draft for the city's future, a careful delination of districts into segregated zones to be presented to his superior. It was straightforward, and seemingly idiotproof, and most importantly, tried and tested. A planned city where each nationality would have their own areas... besides the benefit of easy census-taking and surveillance, it made perfectly sure the communities do not run into conflict with each other.

At least, he hoped so.

Arriving on the steps, however, a familiar sight quickly caught his eye. It was a young blonde in a white coat and fur hat, her thick eyebrows unmistakable.

“Ah,” blurted the startled young man, spotting Margit climbing up the steps with a bespectacled assistant, “you!?”

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OOC Notes:

Cast:
 
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