"What Madness Is This?" Volume I: The Union Forever
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
I would replace that with "Every Person is a God with Bagpipes and an ability to not age" if my idea for a Leader of 80s onwards Illumanist Scotland:
"Switon for Scotland...Now and Forever"
I'll finish this tomorrow. It will probably be twice the length it is now. Also, shoot me proposals for a unified southern Rhineland flag. My current favorite is this:
REUNIFICATION OF THE RHINE
REUNIFICATION OF THE RHINE
When the Germanian Civil War concluded in an uneasy peace treaty in 1920, establishing the Germanian Republic (West Germania), the Illuminist People's Republic of Germania (East Germania), the Illuminist People's Republic of Poland, and the Berlin Free State, it left a glaring weakness in the 1913 Versailles Concordat: that being the clause forbidding the reunification of the former Rheinbund. While much of the northern, Protestant former Bund was now loyal to Wolfgang Kapp's West Germania, the southern independent monarchies of Nassau, Wurttemberg, Bavaria, and Baden were all very much Catholic. In the nearly two decades since the end of the world war and a decade since the end of the Germanian Civil War, the two religious denominations had almost entirely split on geographic lines, with the Catholics in the buffer kingdoms and the Protestants in the north.
As the world entered the 1930s, there was very much reason to doubt continued political and economic stability in Europe. The 1932 Europan Diet election was looking very much up for grabs, with a sickly and weakened Perrault ready to die seemingly at any time. Without Perrault, his Christian Conservative Party would likely fold to more radical elements, such as the Supercatholic Party. The year 1931 saw the assassination of the Queen and Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, plunging an already fragile Western Europe into economic chaos. From Paris to Prague, the economy was tanking fast. Sweden, former Protestant enemy and later trade partner of Europa and Austria-Hungary, announced its closure of ports to Catholic shipping following pressure from Joe Steele onto King Gustaf V. This further hurt the Western and Southern European economies. The Protestant Kingdom of Bohemia, still under the aging King Heinrich, cousin of the late Kaiser Eitel Wilhelm, also abandoned numerous lucrative deals, such as coal shipments, further damaging the economy of Austria-Hungary. But with only a narrow landbridge connecting Bohemia with West Germania and the Protestant world, it did not wish to see a potential societal collapse or Illuminist revolution in the Catholic nations. In fact, Bohemia actually desired a stronger Catholic bloc to deal with the ever-present menace of Illuminists to the north and east.
This was an absolute nightmare, and as people found their life savings becoming worthless overnight and the artificially maintained status quo of the Europan and Austro-Hungarian economy came crashing down, many began crying out for salvation. 1932 saw the narrow reelection of Fabian Perrault as Europan Prime Minister, and Baron von Braunau as the Austro-Hungarian Reichsminister. This put the Europan government on a totally polar opposite side of politics from Austria-Hungary. As the Supercatholic Fatherland Front Party of von Braunau celebrated their victory in Vienna by leading a parade of torches and carrying portraits of von Braunau and Pope Peter II, conservatives in Paris greatly worried that the Holy Father was working to undermine their control over Catholic Europe and move power to Rome and Vienna. To Perrault, Pope Peter was rapidly revealing himself to be a manipulative bastard capable of anything to further his own goals and power. He might have been called the Grail Knight by many, but Peter was by no means a saint.
In the midst of all this unraveling chaos, one man quietly made moves in the halls of power along the Rhine. Before the world war, the Bund had been one of the world's premier economic and industrial breadbaskets and one of the chief reasons the United Empire of Europa was able to take on virtually the entire world. It had been Rhenish sweat that had oiled the gears of the Empire. Now, some twenty years after the dissolution of the Bund, this one man was about to become the father of a new nation. Hermann Goering, born in Roseheim, Bavaria, in 1893, had served honorably during the Siege of Budapest during the war and was a well-respected politician since the conflict's end. He had won the hearts and minds of conservative Catholics in his home country, working in soup kitchens and donating some of his personal fortune made in his tractor and farming equipment business to help get the Bavarian people back to work. Bavaria was one of the most staunchly Catholic areas of Europe, and it was the only one of the former Bund members to not have a formal democratic constitution, instead remaining an absolute monarchy under King Rupprecht. It also heavily favored the Hapsburg family and High King Josef was looked on with respect, twenty years after he was forced to vacate the throne of the Bund.
Inspired by the Fatherland Front party in Austria-Hungary and his own involvement with the Anti-Illuminist Society in Bavaria, Goering launched the Superkatholische Partei Bayerns (SPB) in 1932 as the political branch of the Tuefelhunden paramilitary, sweeping him into power as Prime Minister shortly after von Braunau's similar victory in Vienna. Goering and the SPB replaced the Bavarian Conservative Party in Munich. He had campaigned on a promise of reinvigorating the economy and of deterring Illuminist barbarism, and he knew he had to deliver. In 1933, he visited Rome and the Holy See to meet with Pope Peter. While in the ancient halls of the Basilica, Goering and Peter hit it off quite well, with the Holy Father promising further support and funding for the SPB. The Pope told Goering, "You are a modern crusader, forging a new path for Bavaria during this time of economic uncertainty. The people, down on their luck as they are, need the Light of Christ more than ever. It is up to you to bring that light to them and to restore the Rhine region to its former glory."
It was then that Goering knew for sure that the Pope knew exactly what he was planning: a reunification of the Bund. Not only did the Pope know, but he seemed to be giving the pursuit his blessing. But this time, the Rhine would be different. This time it would not lick the boots of Paris and fuel Caesar's glory-drenched imperialistic exploits, but it would instead sustain itself and fight for its own legacy as a nation-state. The other independent Catholic German regions were very much smaller economically than Bavaria. Bavaria boasted a larger economy than the others combined, in fact, such was the lopsided difference. Whereas Bavaria had done relatively well, even during the economic downturn, the other regions still struggled to maintain a modern way of life landlocked and deprived of shared resources. Under the Versailles Concordat, even the sharing or pooling of resources between the South German states was forbidden. But that was all about to change.
When Goering sent his proposal for unification to the other South German governments, they were initally skeptical. They all greatly feared some sort of retaliation from West Germania for violating the Concordat. Even if that was unlikely, as it would leave West Germania open for an Illuminist invasion from the east and Europan intervention from the west, Europa itself might even decide to come over and subjugate the region. After all, if there was no longer reason to fear Germania enforcing the Concordat's terms, who was to say that Caesar Napoleon V might not try to enrich his own economy by annexing the former Bund. But still, in the back of the diplomats' minds, they were truly considering Goering's offer. Bavaria's King Rupprecht was an absolutist in most ways, but it was clear he was aging rapidly and Goering was truly pulling the strings. Goering was a young mind ready to lead, whereas the other Prime Ministers and monarchs of the South German nations were hardly charismatic. While there economies were currently dealing with crushing economic collapse, Bavaria had been holding steady through sheer willpower and crafty maneuvering. The people had unified around the SPB and didn't seem to be wavering. On March 14, 1933, Goering called for a Congress of the Rhine to be held in Munich "to discuss the future of the Rhenish people and the possible foundation of a unified Rhenish homeland."
The Congress of the Rhine saw the leading members of all the South German states converge on Munich at the appointed time. Sandy blue-uniformed Bavarian stormtroopers lined the streets as the various monarchs and politicians arrived for the show. This was the first time in a very long time that "Rhenish" became a popular adjective to describe residents of the former Bund. Crowds cheered jubilantly as Goering rode through the streets on horseback to the Royal Palace in Munich, baton held high overhead. The next two weeks were spent in intense debate, going back and forth between reasons for or against why the Rhenish people should unify. Most worrying was the possibility of Europan invasion. However, Goering made a good case against that fear, saying on March 22:
"Whether or not we create a new homeland along the blessed Rhine is irrelevant to the question of Europan tyranny or invasion. If we do not unify, we are just as much an open target for the Bonapartes. Whether together or apart, Paris could launch an invasion. But I believe this is very much an unfounded fear of unification. Rather I say that together we offer a much fiercer and determined foe to any possible Europan aggression, and will thus deter such monstrous acts from Paris. Together, the Rhineland shall prosper once more and develop into a country which shall shine as a glorious example of Catholic Germanic culture. Together, the Rhine shall run clear once more, unified under one flag. Together, we shall stand as a bulwark of Catholicism. Let us come together and march hand-in-hand into the future. Let us create a homeland. A home for the Rhenish people, now and forever."
I hope this will lead to "Western Shism 2.0: electric boogaloo", with Napoleon V nominating his own anti-Pope
"I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, DAMMIT." - Caesar Napoleon V
Also, let us not forget the explody elephant in the room that is the Holy Land. Welcome back to AD 1200. Now with machine guns and land battleships!
Huh, a possibility I hadn't considered was Europan democracy surviving, or at least falling into pragmatic absolutism instead of total madness, in opposition to Goering, Branau, and Peter. I certainly would like that; like I said, having good guys to rootfor makes it all the more tragic when they lose.
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That could pretty much describe the entire timeline, well, that and "and then everything got worse".
Europa grimly hanging on as the last bastion of relative sanity would be nice.
Superpowers shouldn't be the ones with sanity. Obscure areas like Arabia or Tibet is fine but Europa? Where the fun in that
Maybe sane isn't the right word- but not evil. Take the Eduists, for example- they're theocratic commies who are led by the pope. Certainly quirky, and alien to our understanding of politics, but not evil. Europa can be the same way.
Brazil is implied to Eduists in name only is more a dictatorship with a cult of personality
Howdy my fellow Americans! I hope everyone is having a splendorous day here in the New Jerusalem! Today I wanted to share a wonderful gospel song with all of you from down in the Ol South. This song is a wonderful expression of faith by our African Patriotic-Comrades and is quite frankly something every true Yankee should learn! All Hail and have a good one 
:
When the Saints Go Marching In:
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the drums begin to bang
Oh, when the drums begin to bang
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, Father Abram you are my friend
Oh, Father Abram you are my friend
Yea, you gonna be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
Patriot-Saint Peter Salem, one of the first African-American Patriots during the American Revolution!
:When the Saints Go Marching In:
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the drums begin to bang
Oh, when the drums begin to bang
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, Father Abram you are my friend
Oh, Father Abram you are my friend
Yea, you gonna be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
Patriot-Saint Peter Salem, one of the first African-American Patriots during the American Revolution!
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This brave African Pinnacle Man faces down a ghetto uprising by vile Romano-Papist inferior scum! All Hail!
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work- Titus 3:1 AFC Standard Edition
D E A T H
A L W A Y S
T O
A N A R C H I S T S
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I would think the illuliumist economy would be a mix of employee owned and managed companies with the national government owning a majority share in strategic industries like defense and transportation.