Yes, this is what the "barkeep" looks like.
For anyone wondering - I expect to put up the next epilogue chapter by the end of the week, if all goes according to plan.
The Land of Sad Songs – Stories From Protect and Survive Finland
- Thread starter DrakonFin
- Start date
Yes, this is what the "barkeep" looks like.
For anyone wondering - I expect to put up the next epilogue chapter by the end of the week, if all goes according to plan.
It's hard to believe that we've only now hit 30 pages.
It is the comment-to-update ratio that keeps this thread short. By now I have very nearly two (often) long updates per page on average (plus addenda), something not seen in many extended TL threads due to comments taking up most of the space. If I ever get up to putting this all to a story-only thread, it will likely take 10-15 pages on its own.
I saw the same thing on my abortive Finnish Civil War TL The Lords of the North - it seems only a comparatively few people on the forum have enough interest and in-depth knowledge about Finnish history, society and people to offer comments, especially concerning periods that are not WWII.
I would love to have more comments - many more seem to read the TL that do comment on it - but as you know, the end is near and it is not likely the situation changes massively during the last few pages.
I had written a long Swiss report on conditions in Germany. Someone put it in the Wiki.
Every nation has its wonders....and those exist even in Germany. But generally, the country is obliterated. Some of the Bundesländer have a post-war population which is numbered rather in thousands than in hundreds of thoursands.
I should put it all orderly into a new P&S-thread. Also, I still have an unpublished piece on the situation in Munich in late '84.
I don't mind the "cult classic" status of this timeline. It makes me appreciate it even more.
I'm a lurker, but I've been reading this TL faithfully. I admit I don't get all the "in jokes" - names of famous Finns etc., and I've had to look up place names, but it's still a compelling story.
And Hornla, I would also like to read your piece on Munich sometime.
And Hornla, I would also like to read your piece on Munich sometime.
As usual good updates DrakonFin, nice to see some changes in Finland, I wonder what the PPO is up to.
Regarding technology and living standards in TTL 2014. I have been on recard in the various P&S threads as an "optimist" and I have not wavered from this position. The really nasty recovery period will be over a few years after the conflict as I have said before and then the very long task of reconstruction will begin.
My own professional experience of the past few years, considerly reinforced my position that technical skills and know-how cant be lost immediately after the war. There are too many factories, workshops and plants located everywhere that destroying every single one of them is just not possible. There will be a lot of repair, refurbishment and ad-hoc stuff in the first few years and decade after the war. Even access to raw materials like oil won't necessarily be such an issue when use will be drastically curtailed.
Reestablishing a television service is not exactly a demanding task techically speaking. Enough infrastructure and know how will remain for that to happen quite shortly. Said television service won't however be the beast we are accustomed to with dozen of channels, advertising and junk-programmes. It will be a throw back to the fifties, government owned and operated and focused on information and education only.
"Simple and bland" is atcually the best way to describe what post-war life will be like for some time and well into the reconstruction period.
Europe "leapfrogging" fixed telephone lines to go mobile is not a realistic prospect since mobile technology is not driven ahead as strongly as OTL due to the lack of producers. Plus there is too much infrastructure already there to start again from scratch. What is however a near given is that as industry rebuilds from scratch, efficiency will be the number one priority in all areas due to the scarcity of materials. The industrial malaise in Britain is therefore sorted out nicely by the war.
Regarding technology and living standards in TTL 2014. I have been on recard in the various P&S threads as an "optimist" and I have not wavered from this position. The really nasty recovery period will be over a few years after the conflict as I have said before and then the very long task of reconstruction will begin.
My own professional experience of the past few years, considerly reinforced my position that technical skills and know-how cant be lost immediately after the war. There are too many factories, workshops and plants located everywhere that destroying every single one of them is just not possible. There will be a lot of repair, refurbishment and ad-hoc stuff in the first few years and decade after the war. Even access to raw materials like oil won't necessarily be such an issue when use will be drastically curtailed.
Reestablishing a television service is not exactly a demanding task techically speaking. Enough infrastructure and know how will remain for that to happen quite shortly. Said television service won't however be the beast we are accustomed to with dozen of channels, advertising and junk-programmes. It will be a throw back to the fifties, government owned and operated and focused on information and education only.
"Simple and bland" is atcually the best way to describe what post-war life will be like for some time and well into the reconstruction period.
Europe "leapfrogging" fixed telephone lines to go mobile is not a realistic prospect since mobile technology is not driven ahead as strongly as OTL due to the lack of producers. Plus there is too much infrastructure already there to start again from scratch. What is however a near given is that as industry rebuilds from scratch, efficiency will be the number one priority in all areas due to the scarcity of materials. The industrial malaise in Britain is therefore sorted out nicely by the war.
Addendum IV. Welcome To Switzerland!
"The distinctive logo for the 2014 Winter Olympics, designed by the Swiss graphic artist Thomas Schüssli, combined the classic snowflake shape with the sun symbol of the St. Moritz resort town and the aesthetics of the Swiss national flag. Planned to also reflect the metaphorical banishment of the "post-nuclear winter" in international sports and Europe's new awakening into bloom under the Swiss leadership, the logo has nevertheless been critiziced as "formulaic", "old-fashioned" and "authoritarian" by its detractors."
"The distinctive logo for the 2014 Winter Olympics, designed by the Swiss graphic artist Thomas Schüssli, combined the classic snowflake shape with the sun symbol of the St. Moritz resort town and the aesthetics of the Swiss national flag. Planned to also reflect the metaphorical banishment of the "post-nuclear winter" in international sports and Europe's new awakening into bloom under the Swiss leadership, the logo has nevertheless been critiziced as "formulaic", "old-fashioned" and "authoritarian" by its detractors."
….
I remember well how lazy I was back then
When I was younger, morning, day and night
I read Sartre, Nietzsche, Hegel and Kant
It was in its own way très intéressant
That the others got all the ladies
Everyone had a squeeze, they, you see, did sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
Way back when, I believed the brains would win
I used to read philosophy until early morn
Until, suddenly, there was the Badminton King
He told me, hello, it is the flesh that does the talking
And that's what unites us
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
….
Eppu Normaali: Urheiluhullu (1990)
E3. Winter Games, Part I
A partial transcript from the CBC coverage of the Olympic opening ceremonies, March 3th 2014:
John: ”...and we return to the Olympic opening ceremony at the Pierre Aubert Memorial Ski Stadium in St. Moritz. For those joining us just now, I'd like to say that what we just heard was a passionate opening speech by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Adolf Ogi, who called the Olympic Games about to start the end of the ”Longest Olympiad” and a sign that Europe and the world are slowly but surely recovering from the horrors of the Third World War. What we are about to see next is the arrival of the Olympic flag, carried by athletes from eight different nations. First on the left is Canada's own Marlon Wickenheiser, hailing from the same sporting family as the pre-War NHL first round pick Doug Wickenheiser. Marlon's looking a bit nervous there, isn't he?”
Mary: ”Well, who could blame him? It is a rare honour.”
John: ”That it is. On the other side of the flag from young mister Wickenheiser we see Finland's biggest hope in women's biathlon, Sanni Hyttynen...”
Mary: ”Huttunen.”
John: ”So that is how they pronounce it, eh? With these Finnish names, you never know...”
Mary: ”Tell me about it, John! And that is not even the worst of them!”
(Both chuckle for a moment.)
Mary: "But returning to the issue at hand, the Finnish team does consist of athletes from both East and West Finland, so it is in its own way a sign of better times to come also in the very north of Europe."
John: ”There is that, of course. A good sign among other Olympic wonders. Going forward the list of the people carrying the flag here, we have... Mario Stella, the Italian athlete here waving to the crowd competes for his nation in cross-country skiing, he's there on the left, and Sandy Edwards, representing Great Britain in slalom, on the right.
Mary: ”The British have a surprisingly big team here, don't they? It must be their Swedish connections and the possibility of using Swedish facilities for training that has given Team UK a boost for these games.”
John: ”Have to agree with you there, the United Kingdom has brought a very interesting group of athletes to St. Moritz. But, say, the two athletes next are really carrying their own flag, aren't they?”
Mary: ”That's right. On the left, we see Vladimir Leonov, representing the All-Russian Council in cross-country skiing and on the right, Ruth Hammerstein, luge, of the German Confederation. Both the Russian and the German teams, as we saw when the teams arrived to the stadium earlier, compete under the Olympic flag in these games in St. Moritz.”
John: ”Like Mr. Ogi just so eloquently put it, the Olympics are a great venue for peace and cooperation between the participating nations, and that can be also seen in the combined Russian, German and Nordic teams represented here during the next two weeks of winter sports.”
Mary: ”You said it, John! The camera is just giving us some views from among the more prominent guests of honour here today. On the left, now, you can see the Queen of Sweden, Victoria, and next to him...”
John: ”I know this. The Swedish Premier, Mr. Thomas Boydstrong...”
Mary: ”Thomas Bodström, who seems to be chatting amiably with a man in a military uniform - the representative of the Eastern Finnish government, General Koskelo. Despite the recent differences between Sweden and Eastern Finland, it seems the hatchet has been buried for now and the two men are ready to appreciate this rare occasion together.”
John: ”That is some Olympic spirit right there! But let's start getting ready for the Olympic pledge. It will be given by the ski jumper Simon Ammann, representing the host nation, Switzerland...”
…
Radio Gothenburg, March 4th 2014:
... you're listening to Radio Gothenburg, the English-language voice of freedom in Northern Europe since 1984. (Jingle) Radio... Got-hen-burg!(/Jingle)
It is 8th p.m. Swedish time, and this is the news on the hour. The clashes between the protesters and the Eastern Finnish authorities have continued unabated since early morning. There have been reports of the military police using live ammunition against crowds of protesters in the Eastern town of Savonlinna, but such claims have been denied as ”propaganda” by the Eastern Finnish military government in Mikkeli. In the streets of the so-called ”temporary administrative capital” the military presence is now even more pronounced, but according to our correspondents, it is more or less peaceful in town centre....
…
T.S., Kokkola, Northern PPO, March 4th, 2014:
The man opening the door wore a Swedish-pattern uniform with a blue armband bearing the Ostrobothnian coat of arms[1], reminding me once again of the common saying attached to it.[2] He was a junior officer. He scanned to room carefully with his eyes, and then searched my clothes for weapons, presumably. Finally he went around the room looking and feeling below the furniture. He then returned to the door and made a hand signal for ”clear” into the darkness, or so I gathered. Only then the man I was waiting for stepped into the light.
General Ahola looked older than the last time I saw him. He had also gained some weight. He was in civilian clothes, this time, and despite any other changes his keen, shrewd eyes were just the way I remembered them. I greeted him and indicated the chairs around the table.
” - Sorry about my lieutenant there,” the military man said quietly, sitting down, ”but you can't be too careful these days.”
I nodded.
” - I understand. What with all the crows and dogs around, and all the badgers... And stoats[3], of course”, I said, glancing back towards the door the young officer had closed behind him as he went outside.
The man shrugged.
” - There's no need for you to fear my stoats. I am here to offer an alliance, as you might have guessed already.”
I had indeed. As of late I had suddenly found myself a very important man. People came far and wide offering me their help and support. I rather felt I was being set up for something.
” - No doubt this is all courtesy of our common friends to the west, General?”
The man I had first met just after the War raised his grey eyebrows at this.
” - This all? No, not all. Some of it, certainly. But there are things I have personally worked for a long time to set up, believe me. For many years, in fact. I believe you know what I am referring to.”
He was talking about the Division. The slow process that led to the creation of the National Committee for the Continuation of Government and the subsequent formation of Provisional Province of Ostrobothnia after the untimely death of Acting President Leppänen in 1987. Like many others working in the Finnish government at the time, I had always believed Ahola was one of the main architects of the events that led to the rift between East and West Finland. But he had always been very careful about it all, and never before I had seen him admit as much about his involvement.
The man cleared his throat and looked at me coolly.
” - I believe the time has come to make efforts to undo the Division and to try and make our nation one whole again. So do you, I have heard – and so do many others. I do believe this is also very much what Urpo Leppänen himself would have wanted.”
I have to say I agreed with him then. Seinäjoki and the Western Command had worked almost seemlessly together with the Emergency Cabinet after the War, as soon as the lines of communications were re-established. And of course the Rump Parliament and Ahola himself, then just a Colonel, had been instrumental in rekindling our connections with the Swedish and ensuring the arrival of all kinds of Swedish help – a matter of life and death to tens of thousands of Finns. With his wartime record and his Reconstruction credentials, this man could have easily became an established member of the Committee of Continuity. Hell, I thought, with his skills and strengths, he might have been running the whole show by now. Instead, he was just a paramilitary officer beholden to the one more or less democratic institution in Finland.[4] Or so the theory went, at least.
He might as well have been reading my mind.
” - We are two of a kind, you and me,” the General said.
” - We both had a chance of making it big in the postwar Finnish government. Don't go denying it, now. I know the Acting was setting you up in a fast lane to become a future leader. And me... Well, I would have had a decent hand to play.”
His smile was as cold as it was sudden.
” - I can't say I wasn't tempted. But after seeing how Halonen and Koskelo destroyed Leppänen's plans for the elections, even if they thought it was good for the nation, aided and abetted by Kanninen, even if unwittingly... Well, what ever I would have done then, I would have been betraying my nation and my military vows one way or the other, or so it really seemed.
So I went with the option I could live with, the one I could have a measure of control over from the power base I had so painstakingly built for myself after the War. I was not going to stick my neck into the nest of vipers Mikkeli had became. Lipponen made pretty much the same calculations, I believe, and arrived at a similar outcome, abandoning his post on a pretext I can't remember now and moving back west – he was nothing if not an astute political animal, was our Chairman of the Council.”
I knew what he meant. I was there when Paavo Lipponen boarded an Air Force plane at the Mikkeli airfield after the funeral and left for Seinäjoki, never to return. He tried to make me come along, too, but I remember thinking that would have meant betraying the boss and mentor I had just buried.
” - And so, here we are. Two threadbare outcasts who refused to play the game after they had gone and rigged the rules, reminescing about the old days, bad and worse. Oh, you tried longer to make things right, and I can't blame you... You were a babe in the woods back then, like so many others. And those were some deep and dark woods to be sure...”
For a while the General went silent. And then he lighted a cigarette, offering me one, too. As I declined I noticed the pack had a Swedish tax stamp on it.
Playing idly with a gas lighter, the man looked thoughtful, and not at all sad.
” - Things seem to be moving now, though. The way the winds are blowing all of a sudden, I do believe we might still have a part to play when they go about attempting to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.”
” - So, we're king's men now, are we?”, I asked the old General, as of a week ago again the Commander of the Ostrobothnian Protection Corps, a very professional and well-provisioned force for a paramilitary unit, or so my underground friends kept telling me.
” - King's, queen's, I don't know. Despite the friends I keep, I a not so big on the concept of monarchy”, the older man answered with a slight smile.
” - I wouldn't mind if the future would know me as a kingmaker, though,” the General told to me, his face studiously blank.
After that we agreed it was time to get into the business proper. It took a good while to work out all the outstanding issues. As we parted our ways, it was already the small hours of the morning and my head was swimming from both being tired and thinking about what the future would hold for us.
The old General shook my hand briefly before he left.
” - Good luck out there”, he said to me, ”you'll need it yet. Do remember that not all the crows, dogs or indeed badgers are what they seem.”
” - And the stoats?” I asked.
The General harrumphed at that.
” - Let me worry about the stoats. You just keep your eyes on the puck when we get to the finals.”
….
YLE radio news, 13.00, March 5th 2014:
”… General jubilation in central Mikkeli due to the first Olympic medal won by a member of the Finnish national team this morning. Sami Puukko brough the nation glory by narrowly winning silver ín men's 15 km cross-country skiing, defeating Sweden's Björn Svensson by only two seconds after a fierce battle before the finish line. The gold was taken by Kjell Magne Sund of the joint Nordic team. Today, the whole nation stands together with our Olympic men and women. Together we are strong. Together, we will keep winning...”
….
The official Finnish Olympic theme song chosen for the 2014 coverage, pushed by the YLE at every turn, was performed by a child choir:
”All across our beloved Fatherland
We celebrate when we are winning!
Let the blue-white flags fly,
And soon the medals are brought home!
All across our beloved Fatherland,
We hold hands together and support Finland!
Suomi! Suomi! Suomi! Suomi!”
….
Colonel Vartia, Mikkeli, Central FNA, March 5th, 2014:
Walking down the hallways of the YLE broadcast centre I kept feeling the cold in my spine and that sinking feeling was lodged in my stomach for good, it seemed. The Major General beside my looked at me reproachfully.
” - Jesus, Vartia, you're sweating! Are you all right?”
I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief.
” - I'm fine, General,” I lied to the most feared man in Finland, ”but I think I have been having a bit of a flu lately.”
Major General Varis made a grimace.
” - Don't bloody go sick on me now, man, now that we need you the most. We need the SIO at the top of its game during these next weeks. A lot depends on it. With the damn protests and the Strike, the nation needs the right kind of reporting and good news. You know what I mean. You've played the Olympics well so far, keep at it. You maintain the national morale, and I'll make sure we have peace and order.”
Varis was in habit of doing these surprise ”security inspections”, like he used to call them. Many an administrator was in mortal fear of that seemingly inexhaustible, slight man suddenly arriving at the door, with his Special Military Police retinue in tow and turning the places upside down, smiling that faint unnerving smile of his all the while. The man always wore his uniform, with a pistol on his belt. Even though the post-War rules provided for all senior officers having the right to carry a sidearm at all times, not many bothered these days. For Varis, though, it was par for the course.
Dark rumours said that he had personally executed traitors with it. Varis himself was known to quietly promote such hearsay.
The Major General made a point of studying the faces of all the SIO and YLE personnel we passed, men and women making nervous textbook salutes to the man who only returned them in a perfunctory manner.
” - A lot of new faces here, Colonel. You've made your mark on the organization, eh?”
It was so casual how he said it.
” - Yes, General. I was put in this position to whip the SIO into shape, and this is what I am trying to do. Hiring and promoting young talent and getting rid of the dead wood. A lot of this should have been done years ago.”
The security chief looked at me and nodded. At 46, he was the youngest post-War general in Finland, and he was nothing if not a proponent of giving more responsibilities to the younger and the brighter. Being too young to have fought in the war, the only wartime decoration on his uniform was the Civil Defence Cross.[5] His aversion to the "old guard" was well-known.
” - Indeed, Colonel, indeed. And the way you have taken the YLE firmly in hand – these are measures I can fully support. Your predecessor was... lacklustre. Things have certainly improved here. I can't stress it how much we need to maintain a strong voice and a unity of command.”
If the man only knew what kind of people I was recently in habit of hiring and promoting, and to what purpose. Did he have at least doubts about me? He must have...
When we returned back to the foyer, a military police officer was waiting us there, with two armed MP:s in tow, faces stern. Would this be when they arrest me, I thought with another chill going up my spine.
” - Colonel, this is Captain Koivu. He commands the Military Police unit I have decided to station here at the broadcast centre until further notice.”
I was somewhat surprised. Koivu had the insignia of the Special Military Police[6] on his left arm.
” - General, I don't think...”. I started.
Varis cut me off.
” - Frankly, Vartia, I don't care what you think about this, and I say this with all due respect. You control the flow of information. Me, I am in charge of security. These men will protect this installation from the protestors and malcontents trying hard to whip up anarchy and to make our streets a battleground. As we speak, my men have started to cordon off these buildings by putting up metal fences and sandbagged positions. It is of the utmost importance for us to keep control of the YLE if this thing escalates any further.”
I had no chance but to agree to Varis's plan.
” - I'll find quarters for them, General, and make sure my people help them get settled and whatnot.”
Varis nodded.
” - Good man. I think you are doing a great job here. Trust me when I say that, I am not usually a man given to compliments.”
There was something deeply unnerving in the level way he looked at me.
” - I am putting these men directly under your command, Colonel. Don't disappoint me.”
As the Major General strode out to his waiting armored car, Captain Koivu looked at me with genuine concern in his eyes.
” - Colonel, you look very pale. Maybe you should sit down or something?”
…
A discussion of the general situation at the Olympics followed on the program, with a couple of experts weighing the Finnish success so far with the chances of bringing more medals from the upcoming events. A special emphasis was on the following day's ice hockey match against Team USA, who had been steamrolling its way over the early opponents. Again some discussion time was also devoted to praising the efforts of the Swiss organizers in providing excellent services and quarters to the athletes, saving in neither manpower nor resources. It was becoming commonplace for the athletes and trainers to point out that the conditions were in general better than what they enjoyed in their native countries and that only superlatives could be used to assess the...
...
Joni, March 6th 2014:
I saw Three-Finger sprawling on the ground, all bloody, his left foot sticking at an unnatural angle. There was no time to help him, though.
”- Joni!”, I heard someone shout.
” - Saatana, Vartia, listen to me!”
It was Väänänen. Blood on his face, too, he was gesturing to the left.
” - The Dogs are coming, man, we are fucked if we stay here!”, I heard him shouting over the din on the square. Stumbling after him, I almost fell when my feet tangled to a big Anarchist flag on the snowy, muddy ground. The chilly air was steaming from smoke and exhaled breath. The smell in the air was metallic.
I need to get out of here. That was the only thought on my mind.
…
Announcer: …And this is it, ladies and gentlemen! The second round and the fate of the Olympic medals will be decided right here! As we are waiting for the directorate to decide whether to allow the last three men to come down from the tower, the crafty Czecho-Slovak Hašek leads this race after a beautiful 87 meter leap on the second round, leading comfortably with a 7 point lead to Sweden's Boknäs and Switzerland's Ammann who was very disappointed with his performance today. Ammann, of course, known for being the only man using the rare V-style in this competition....
Announcer: And there is the flag! The competition can continue... It is Vinogradov next, the man behind the biggest surprise in the first round... And here comes the young Russian from the Baltic Zone... But no, Vinogradov is not competing for the top spots this time. What do you say, A-P?
A-P: He was a bit late for the jump, and here we can see that the young man's nerves just weren't steely enough for this yet...
Announcer: Just so. The Russian shakes his head there, he is pretty disappointed.
Announcer: And now, on the second place after the first round, our own Timo Kiiskinen. The man from Suonenjoki[7] adjusts his helmet and I think there is a determined look in his eyes, wouldn't you say, A-P?
A-P: I know that look from Timppa. It means good things...
Announcer: Kiiskinen managed a tremendous leap on the first round, 90.5 metres, but his poor landing cost him some points on style. Let us see how he performs now.
Announcer: And here goes. All thumbs up back home! Wave those flags! Kiiskinen... And he flies! He flies! It is a long one! And there he lands. Look at his smile there!
A-P: It's nearly 90 meters, and now he managed a nice Telemark landing, too. We can expect good points for style.
Announcer: The Swiss judge gives 19.5, the Swedish 19, the Czecho-Slovak only 18.5 and the rest full 20. Kiiskinen takes the lead! Four points over Hašek! But will it be enough against the man from the Germanies?
A-P: That is the question now, isn't it? He looks very sure of himself up there.
Announcer: Andreas Wolf, of Bavaria, with a greed for gold in his eyes. Representing the joint German team, sitting there, waiting for the flag to drop. The pressure must be huge – I can barely keep sitting down myself, I am so excited. It doesn't get any better than this!
A-P: And now we have Kiiskinen in the pictures, look at his face. He would sure want to win this one.
Announcer: The German coach gives the signal, and there comes Wolf! How will he do? Here comes Wolf... And lands on the 87 meter line...
A-P: It is not enough.
Announcer: Wolf raises his hand to celebrate, but it is not enough! Here come the points for style... They are good, mostly 18.5 and 19, but it is not enough! Kiiskinen wins by the slimmest of margins... It is only 1,5 points! God Almighty, 1,5 points! Timo Kiiskinen wins gold for Finland!
A-P: It is time to celebrate.
Announcer: The first gold for Finland in the Olympic Games in St. Moritz! Timo Kiiskinen does the impossible and brings home the brightest medal! Today the whole of Finland celebrates!
A-P: I think it is time for...
Announcer: Yes it is! Mikkeli, the March of the Pori Brigade, if I may ask.
Notes:
[1] The symbol of the Ostrobothnian Protection Corps (Fin. Pohjanmaan Suojeluskunta, Swe. Österbottniska Skyddskåren).
[2] ”The Ostrobothnian troops may wear a blue armband, but look closer and you'll see it has a yellow fringe on it.”
[3] The Ostrobothnian coat of arms has six running stoats on an azure field.
[4] Refers to the officially unofficial Ostrobothnian Council (Fin. Pohjanmaan neuvosto, Swe. Österbottniska rådet), a political body with representation from all the functioning municipal administrations in the Provisional Province.
[5] Fin. Väestönsuojeluristi, Swe. Befolkningsskyddskorset. Awarded by order of Acting President Leppänen in 1986 to all members of the Civil Defence organization in 1984, the Civil Defence Cross is by far the most common wartime decoration in the FNA and the PPO. Major General Varis carries the CDC 2nd Class, awarded to people with special merits in civil defence duties during the national emergency. Varis, then just 16, was a member of an armed Civil Defence unit fighting against bandits and looters in North Karelia.
[6] Fin. Erikoissotilaspoliisi, Swe. Specialmilitärpolis. Abbreviated ESP in Finnish. The insignia of the unit is a black sword-and-lion police symbol superimposed on a blue Defence Forces tower logo. The black and blue armband worn by its members has the letters ESP in white.
[7] But representing Lahden Hiihtoseura (”The Lahti Ski Club”), like all four Finnish ski-jumpers at St. Moritz.
I remember well how lazy I was back then
When I was younger, morning, day and night
I read Sartre, Nietzsche, Hegel and Kant
It was in its own way très intéressant
That the others got all the ladies
Everyone had a squeeze, they, you see, did sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
Way back when, I believed the brains would win
I used to read philosophy until early morn
Until, suddenly, there was the Badminton King
He told me, hello, it is the flesh that does the talking
And that's what unites us
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
I have gone mad for sports
….
Eppu Normaali: Urheiluhullu (1990)
E3. Winter Games, Part I
A partial transcript from the CBC coverage of the Olympic opening ceremonies, March 3th 2014:
John: ”...and we return to the Olympic opening ceremony at the Pierre Aubert Memorial Ski Stadium in St. Moritz. For those joining us just now, I'd like to say that what we just heard was a passionate opening speech by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Adolf Ogi, who called the Olympic Games about to start the end of the ”Longest Olympiad” and a sign that Europe and the world are slowly but surely recovering from the horrors of the Third World War. What we are about to see next is the arrival of the Olympic flag, carried by athletes from eight different nations. First on the left is Canada's own Marlon Wickenheiser, hailing from the same sporting family as the pre-War NHL first round pick Doug Wickenheiser. Marlon's looking a bit nervous there, isn't he?”
Mary: ”Well, who could blame him? It is a rare honour.”
John: ”That it is. On the other side of the flag from young mister Wickenheiser we see Finland's biggest hope in women's biathlon, Sanni Hyttynen...”
Mary: ”Huttunen.”
John: ”So that is how they pronounce it, eh? With these Finnish names, you never know...”
Mary: ”Tell me about it, John! And that is not even the worst of them!”
(Both chuckle for a moment.)
Mary: "But returning to the issue at hand, the Finnish team does consist of athletes from both East and West Finland, so it is in its own way a sign of better times to come also in the very north of Europe."
John: ”There is that, of course. A good sign among other Olympic wonders. Going forward the list of the people carrying the flag here, we have... Mario Stella, the Italian athlete here waving to the crowd competes for his nation in cross-country skiing, he's there on the left, and Sandy Edwards, representing Great Britain in slalom, on the right.
Mary: ”The British have a surprisingly big team here, don't they? It must be their Swedish connections and the possibility of using Swedish facilities for training that has given Team UK a boost for these games.”
John: ”Have to agree with you there, the United Kingdom has brought a very interesting group of athletes to St. Moritz. But, say, the two athletes next are really carrying their own flag, aren't they?”
Mary: ”That's right. On the left, we see Vladimir Leonov, representing the All-Russian Council in cross-country skiing and on the right, Ruth Hammerstein, luge, of the German Confederation. Both the Russian and the German teams, as we saw when the teams arrived to the stadium earlier, compete under the Olympic flag in these games in St. Moritz.”
John: ”Like Mr. Ogi just so eloquently put it, the Olympics are a great venue for peace and cooperation between the participating nations, and that can be also seen in the combined Russian, German and Nordic teams represented here during the next two weeks of winter sports.”
Mary: ”You said it, John! The camera is just giving us some views from among the more prominent guests of honour here today. On the left, now, you can see the Queen of Sweden, Victoria, and next to him...”
John: ”I know this. The Swedish Premier, Mr. Thomas Boydstrong...”
Mary: ”Thomas Bodström, who seems to be chatting amiably with a man in a military uniform - the representative of the Eastern Finnish government, General Koskelo. Despite the recent differences between Sweden and Eastern Finland, it seems the hatchet has been buried for now and the two men are ready to appreciate this rare occasion together.”
John: ”That is some Olympic spirit right there! But let's start getting ready for the Olympic pledge. It will be given by the ski jumper Simon Ammann, representing the host nation, Switzerland...”
…
Radio Gothenburg, March 4th 2014:
... you're listening to Radio Gothenburg, the English-language voice of freedom in Northern Europe since 1984. (Jingle) Radio... Got-hen-burg!(/Jingle)
It is 8th p.m. Swedish time, and this is the news on the hour. The clashes between the protesters and the Eastern Finnish authorities have continued unabated since early morning. There have been reports of the military police using live ammunition against crowds of protesters in the Eastern town of Savonlinna, but such claims have been denied as ”propaganda” by the Eastern Finnish military government in Mikkeli. In the streets of the so-called ”temporary administrative capital” the military presence is now even more pronounced, but according to our correspondents, it is more or less peaceful in town centre....
…
T.S., Kokkola, Northern PPO, March 4th, 2014:
The man opening the door wore a Swedish-pattern uniform with a blue armband bearing the Ostrobothnian coat of arms[1], reminding me once again of the common saying attached to it.[2] He was a junior officer. He scanned to room carefully with his eyes, and then searched my clothes for weapons, presumably. Finally he went around the room looking and feeling below the furniture. He then returned to the door and made a hand signal for ”clear” into the darkness, or so I gathered. Only then the man I was waiting for stepped into the light.
General Ahola looked older than the last time I saw him. He had also gained some weight. He was in civilian clothes, this time, and despite any other changes his keen, shrewd eyes were just the way I remembered them. I greeted him and indicated the chairs around the table.
” - Sorry about my lieutenant there,” the military man said quietly, sitting down, ”but you can't be too careful these days.”
I nodded.
” - I understand. What with all the crows and dogs around, and all the badgers... And stoats[3], of course”, I said, glancing back towards the door the young officer had closed behind him as he went outside.
The man shrugged.
” - There's no need for you to fear my stoats. I am here to offer an alliance, as you might have guessed already.”
I had indeed. As of late I had suddenly found myself a very important man. People came far and wide offering me their help and support. I rather felt I was being set up for something.
” - No doubt this is all courtesy of our common friends to the west, General?”
The man I had first met just after the War raised his grey eyebrows at this.
” - This all? No, not all. Some of it, certainly. But there are things I have personally worked for a long time to set up, believe me. For many years, in fact. I believe you know what I am referring to.”
He was talking about the Division. The slow process that led to the creation of the National Committee for the Continuation of Government and the subsequent formation of Provisional Province of Ostrobothnia after the untimely death of Acting President Leppänen in 1987. Like many others working in the Finnish government at the time, I had always believed Ahola was one of the main architects of the events that led to the rift between East and West Finland. But he had always been very careful about it all, and never before I had seen him admit as much about his involvement.
The man cleared his throat and looked at me coolly.
” - I believe the time has come to make efforts to undo the Division and to try and make our nation one whole again. So do you, I have heard – and so do many others. I do believe this is also very much what Urpo Leppänen himself would have wanted.”
I have to say I agreed with him then. Seinäjoki and the Western Command had worked almost seemlessly together with the Emergency Cabinet after the War, as soon as the lines of communications were re-established. And of course the Rump Parliament and Ahola himself, then just a Colonel, had been instrumental in rekindling our connections with the Swedish and ensuring the arrival of all kinds of Swedish help – a matter of life and death to tens of thousands of Finns. With his wartime record and his Reconstruction credentials, this man could have easily became an established member of the Committee of Continuity. Hell, I thought, with his skills and strengths, he might have been running the whole show by now. Instead, he was just a paramilitary officer beholden to the one more or less democratic institution in Finland.[4] Or so the theory went, at least.
He might as well have been reading my mind.
” - We are two of a kind, you and me,” the General said.
” - We both had a chance of making it big in the postwar Finnish government. Don't go denying it, now. I know the Acting was setting you up in a fast lane to become a future leader. And me... Well, I would have had a decent hand to play.”
His smile was as cold as it was sudden.
” - I can't say I wasn't tempted. But after seeing how Halonen and Koskelo destroyed Leppänen's plans for the elections, even if they thought it was good for the nation, aided and abetted by Kanninen, even if unwittingly... Well, what ever I would have done then, I would have been betraying my nation and my military vows one way or the other, or so it really seemed.
So I went with the option I could live with, the one I could have a measure of control over from the power base I had so painstakingly built for myself after the War. I was not going to stick my neck into the nest of vipers Mikkeli had became. Lipponen made pretty much the same calculations, I believe, and arrived at a similar outcome, abandoning his post on a pretext I can't remember now and moving back west – he was nothing if not an astute political animal, was our Chairman of the Council.”
I knew what he meant. I was there when Paavo Lipponen boarded an Air Force plane at the Mikkeli airfield after the funeral and left for Seinäjoki, never to return. He tried to make me come along, too, but I remember thinking that would have meant betraying the boss and mentor I had just buried.
” - And so, here we are. Two threadbare outcasts who refused to play the game after they had gone and rigged the rules, reminescing about the old days, bad and worse. Oh, you tried longer to make things right, and I can't blame you... You were a babe in the woods back then, like so many others. And those were some deep and dark woods to be sure...”
For a while the General went silent. And then he lighted a cigarette, offering me one, too. As I declined I noticed the pack had a Swedish tax stamp on it.
Playing idly with a gas lighter, the man looked thoughtful, and not at all sad.
” - Things seem to be moving now, though. The way the winds are blowing all of a sudden, I do believe we might still have a part to play when they go about attempting to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.”
” - So, we're king's men now, are we?”, I asked the old General, as of a week ago again the Commander of the Ostrobothnian Protection Corps, a very professional and well-provisioned force for a paramilitary unit, or so my underground friends kept telling me.
” - King's, queen's, I don't know. Despite the friends I keep, I a not so big on the concept of monarchy”, the older man answered with a slight smile.
” - I wouldn't mind if the future would know me as a kingmaker, though,” the General told to me, his face studiously blank.
After that we agreed it was time to get into the business proper. It took a good while to work out all the outstanding issues. As we parted our ways, it was already the small hours of the morning and my head was swimming from both being tired and thinking about what the future would hold for us.
The old General shook my hand briefly before he left.
” - Good luck out there”, he said to me, ”you'll need it yet. Do remember that not all the crows, dogs or indeed badgers are what they seem.”
” - And the stoats?” I asked.
The General harrumphed at that.
” - Let me worry about the stoats. You just keep your eyes on the puck when we get to the finals.”
….
YLE radio news, 13.00, March 5th 2014:
”… General jubilation in central Mikkeli due to the first Olympic medal won by a member of the Finnish national team this morning. Sami Puukko brough the nation glory by narrowly winning silver ín men's 15 km cross-country skiing, defeating Sweden's Björn Svensson by only two seconds after a fierce battle before the finish line. The gold was taken by Kjell Magne Sund of the joint Nordic team. Today, the whole nation stands together with our Olympic men and women. Together we are strong. Together, we will keep winning...”
….
The official Finnish Olympic theme song chosen for the 2014 coverage, pushed by the YLE at every turn, was performed by a child choir:
”All across our beloved Fatherland
We celebrate when we are winning!
Let the blue-white flags fly,
And soon the medals are brought home!
All across our beloved Fatherland,
We hold hands together and support Finland!
Suomi! Suomi! Suomi! Suomi!”
….
Colonel Vartia, Mikkeli, Central FNA, March 5th, 2014:
Walking down the hallways of the YLE broadcast centre I kept feeling the cold in my spine and that sinking feeling was lodged in my stomach for good, it seemed. The Major General beside my looked at me reproachfully.
” - Jesus, Vartia, you're sweating! Are you all right?”
I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief.
” - I'm fine, General,” I lied to the most feared man in Finland, ”but I think I have been having a bit of a flu lately.”
Major General Varis made a grimace.
” - Don't bloody go sick on me now, man, now that we need you the most. We need the SIO at the top of its game during these next weeks. A lot depends on it. With the damn protests and the Strike, the nation needs the right kind of reporting and good news. You know what I mean. You've played the Olympics well so far, keep at it. You maintain the national morale, and I'll make sure we have peace and order.”
Varis was in habit of doing these surprise ”security inspections”, like he used to call them. Many an administrator was in mortal fear of that seemingly inexhaustible, slight man suddenly arriving at the door, with his Special Military Police retinue in tow and turning the places upside down, smiling that faint unnerving smile of his all the while. The man always wore his uniform, with a pistol on his belt. Even though the post-War rules provided for all senior officers having the right to carry a sidearm at all times, not many bothered these days. For Varis, though, it was par for the course.
Dark rumours said that he had personally executed traitors with it. Varis himself was known to quietly promote such hearsay.
The Major General made a point of studying the faces of all the SIO and YLE personnel we passed, men and women making nervous textbook salutes to the man who only returned them in a perfunctory manner.
” - A lot of new faces here, Colonel. You've made your mark on the organization, eh?”
It was so casual how he said it.
” - Yes, General. I was put in this position to whip the SIO into shape, and this is what I am trying to do. Hiring and promoting young talent and getting rid of the dead wood. A lot of this should have been done years ago.”
The security chief looked at me and nodded. At 46, he was the youngest post-War general in Finland, and he was nothing if not a proponent of giving more responsibilities to the younger and the brighter. Being too young to have fought in the war, the only wartime decoration on his uniform was the Civil Defence Cross.[5] His aversion to the "old guard" was well-known.
” - Indeed, Colonel, indeed. And the way you have taken the YLE firmly in hand – these are measures I can fully support. Your predecessor was... lacklustre. Things have certainly improved here. I can't stress it how much we need to maintain a strong voice and a unity of command.”
If the man only knew what kind of people I was recently in habit of hiring and promoting, and to what purpose. Did he have at least doubts about me? He must have...
When we returned back to the foyer, a military police officer was waiting us there, with two armed MP:s in tow, faces stern. Would this be when they arrest me, I thought with another chill going up my spine.
” - Colonel, this is Captain Koivu. He commands the Military Police unit I have decided to station here at the broadcast centre until further notice.”
I was somewhat surprised. Koivu had the insignia of the Special Military Police[6] on his left arm.
” - General, I don't think...”. I started.
Varis cut me off.
” - Frankly, Vartia, I don't care what you think about this, and I say this with all due respect. You control the flow of information. Me, I am in charge of security. These men will protect this installation from the protestors and malcontents trying hard to whip up anarchy and to make our streets a battleground. As we speak, my men have started to cordon off these buildings by putting up metal fences and sandbagged positions. It is of the utmost importance for us to keep control of the YLE if this thing escalates any further.”
I had no chance but to agree to Varis's plan.
” - I'll find quarters for them, General, and make sure my people help them get settled and whatnot.”
Varis nodded.
” - Good man. I think you are doing a great job here. Trust me when I say that, I am not usually a man given to compliments.”
There was something deeply unnerving in the level way he looked at me.
” - I am putting these men directly under your command, Colonel. Don't disappoint me.”
As the Major General strode out to his waiting armored car, Captain Koivu looked at me with genuine concern in his eyes.
” - Colonel, you look very pale. Maybe you should sit down or something?”
…
A discussion of the general situation at the Olympics followed on the program, with a couple of experts weighing the Finnish success so far with the chances of bringing more medals from the upcoming events. A special emphasis was on the following day's ice hockey match against Team USA, who had been steamrolling its way over the early opponents. Again some discussion time was also devoted to praising the efforts of the Swiss organizers in providing excellent services and quarters to the athletes, saving in neither manpower nor resources. It was becoming commonplace for the athletes and trainers to point out that the conditions were in general better than what they enjoyed in their native countries and that only superlatives could be used to assess the...
...
Joni, March 6th 2014:
I saw Three-Finger sprawling on the ground, all bloody, his left foot sticking at an unnatural angle. There was no time to help him, though.
”- Joni!”, I heard someone shout.
” - Saatana, Vartia, listen to me!”
It was Väänänen. Blood on his face, too, he was gesturing to the left.
” - The Dogs are coming, man, we are fucked if we stay here!”, I heard him shouting over the din on the square. Stumbling after him, I almost fell when my feet tangled to a big Anarchist flag on the snowy, muddy ground. The chilly air was steaming from smoke and exhaled breath. The smell in the air was metallic.
I need to get out of here. That was the only thought on my mind.
…
Announcer: …And this is it, ladies and gentlemen! The second round and the fate of the Olympic medals will be decided right here! As we are waiting for the directorate to decide whether to allow the last three men to come down from the tower, the crafty Czecho-Slovak Hašek leads this race after a beautiful 87 meter leap on the second round, leading comfortably with a 7 point lead to Sweden's Boknäs and Switzerland's Ammann who was very disappointed with his performance today. Ammann, of course, known for being the only man using the rare V-style in this competition....
Announcer: And there is the flag! The competition can continue... It is Vinogradov next, the man behind the biggest surprise in the first round... And here comes the young Russian from the Baltic Zone... But no, Vinogradov is not competing for the top spots this time. What do you say, A-P?
A-P: He was a bit late for the jump, and here we can see that the young man's nerves just weren't steely enough for this yet...
Announcer: Just so. The Russian shakes his head there, he is pretty disappointed.
Announcer: And now, on the second place after the first round, our own Timo Kiiskinen. The man from Suonenjoki[7] adjusts his helmet and I think there is a determined look in his eyes, wouldn't you say, A-P?
A-P: I know that look from Timppa. It means good things...
Announcer: Kiiskinen managed a tremendous leap on the first round, 90.5 metres, but his poor landing cost him some points on style. Let us see how he performs now.
Announcer: And here goes. All thumbs up back home! Wave those flags! Kiiskinen... And he flies! He flies! It is a long one! And there he lands. Look at his smile there!
A-P: It's nearly 90 meters, and now he managed a nice Telemark landing, too. We can expect good points for style.
Announcer: The Swiss judge gives 19.5, the Swedish 19, the Czecho-Slovak only 18.5 and the rest full 20. Kiiskinen takes the lead! Four points over Hašek! But will it be enough against the man from the Germanies?
A-P: That is the question now, isn't it? He looks very sure of himself up there.
Announcer: Andreas Wolf, of Bavaria, with a greed for gold in his eyes. Representing the joint German team, sitting there, waiting for the flag to drop. The pressure must be huge – I can barely keep sitting down myself, I am so excited. It doesn't get any better than this!
A-P: And now we have Kiiskinen in the pictures, look at his face. He would sure want to win this one.
Announcer: The German coach gives the signal, and there comes Wolf! How will he do? Here comes Wolf... And lands on the 87 meter line...
A-P: It is not enough.
Announcer: Wolf raises his hand to celebrate, but it is not enough! Here come the points for style... They are good, mostly 18.5 and 19, but it is not enough! Kiiskinen wins by the slimmest of margins... It is only 1,5 points! God Almighty, 1,5 points! Timo Kiiskinen wins gold for Finland!
A-P: It is time to celebrate.
Announcer: The first gold for Finland in the Olympic Games in St. Moritz! Timo Kiiskinen does the impossible and brings home the brightest medal! Today the whole of Finland celebrates!
A-P: I think it is time for...
Announcer: Yes it is! Mikkeli, the March of the Pori Brigade, if I may ask.
Notes:
[1] The symbol of the Ostrobothnian Protection Corps (Fin. Pohjanmaan Suojeluskunta, Swe. Österbottniska Skyddskåren).
[2] ”The Ostrobothnian troops may wear a blue armband, but look closer and you'll see it has a yellow fringe on it.”
[3] The Ostrobothnian coat of arms has six running stoats on an azure field.
[4] Refers to the officially unofficial Ostrobothnian Council (Fin. Pohjanmaan neuvosto, Swe. Österbottniska rådet), a political body with representation from all the functioning municipal administrations in the Provisional Province.
[5] Fin. Väestönsuojeluristi, Swe. Befolkningsskyddskorset. Awarded by order of Acting President Leppänen in 1986 to all members of the Civil Defence organization in 1984, the Civil Defence Cross is by far the most common wartime decoration in the FNA and the PPO. Major General Varis carries the CDC 2nd Class, awarded to people with special merits in civil defence duties during the national emergency. Varis, then just 16, was a member of an armed Civil Defence unit fighting against bandits and looters in North Karelia.
[6] Fin. Erikoissotilaspoliisi, Swe. Specialmilitärpolis. Abbreviated ESP in Finnish. The insignia of the unit is a black sword-and-lion police symbol superimposed on a blue Defence Forces tower logo. The black and blue armband worn by its members has the letters ESP in white.
[7] But representing Lahden Hiihtoseura (”The Lahti Ski Club”), like all four Finnish ski-jumpers at St. Moritz.
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Be interesting to see how Finland's sucess at the Olympics impacts on events at home. Will the Finnish authorities use it for their own purposes?
Very interesting !
I presume the number of disciplines has barely been raised since the last WO back in 1980 ? At least that's what I've counted on when I sent you my PM with the athlete names of the post-communist countries. I've only included biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing, bobsleigh, luge, speed skating and figure skating and ski jumping. And, naturally, some of the countries on the list also have a national ice hockey team. On a related note, I liked how you referenced the fact that a 30 year absence of the WOs had lead to the far slower adoption of the V-style posture at ski jumping events. Very consistent with the ATL developments, to say the least.
Loved the bits with Vartia and Varis. The battle for information seems to have begun. Maybe we'll eventually see a "Finnish Spring" sometime in the ATL 2010s ? A few sandbags and portable fences can't hold off angry citizens forever.
The implied events from the 6th of March really caught me off guard. The presence of the thrown away anarchist flag surprised me. Are things really that heated ? Do certain groups plan a repeat of the infamous revolt from 30 years ago ? Things are escalating quickly...
I presume the number of disciplines has barely been raised since the last WO back in 1980 ? At least that's what I've counted on when I sent you my PM with the athlete names of the post-communist countries. I've only included biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing, bobsleigh, luge, speed skating and figure skating and ski jumping. And, naturally, some of the countries on the list also have a national ice hockey team. On a related note, I liked how you referenced the fact that a 30 year absence of the WOs had lead to the far slower adoption of the V-style posture at ski jumping events.
Very consistent with the ATL developments, to say the least.Loved the bits with Vartia and Varis. The battle for information seems to have begun. Maybe we'll eventually see a "Finnish Spring" sometime in the ATL 2010s ?
A few sandbags and portable fences can't hold off angry citizens forever. The implied events from the 6th of March really caught me off guard. The presence of the thrown away anarchist flag surprised me. Are things really that heated ? Do certain groups plan a repeat of the infamous revolt from 30 years ago ? Things are escalating quickly...
Very interesting !
I presume the number of disciplines has barely been raised since the last WO back in 1980 ? At least that's what I've counted on when I sent you my PM with the athlete names of the post-communist countries. I've only included biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing, bobsleigh, luge, speed skating and figure skating and ski jumping. And, naturally, some of the countries on the list also have a national ice hockey team. On a related note, I liked how you referenced the fact that a 30 year absence of the WOs had lead to the far slower adoption of the V-style posture at ski jumping events.
I am operating under the assumption that the St. Moritz games would have virtually the same disciplines as Sarajevo would have had, save maybe different demonstration events. The thing with the V-style was almost an afterthought - when I realized that, I also shaved several meters off the jumps which originally were much longer.
Loved the bits with Vartia and Varis. The battle for information seems to have begun. Maybe we'll eventually see a "Finnish Spring" sometime in the ATL 2010s ?
The implied events from the 6th of March really caught me off guard. The presence of the thrown away anarchist flag surprised me. Are things really that heated ? Do certain groups plan a repeat of the infamous revolt from 30 years ago ? Things are escalating quickly...
Good questions. They will be mostly answered in the next two updates.
LordInsane said:
You're right. Swedish, as ever, is not one of my strong suits. Both the FNA and the PPO are bilingual entities (both de jure and the latter also de facto) so I will have to make an effort, at least.
A Central European P & S would be really interesting It could include things like experiences of surving servicemen from the various armies starting from the immediate post exchange period. Do the surviving units formally disband or disband themselves. Do they try to make their way home or do they become well armed bandits taking what they need from surviving civillians?
This timeline could cover the post war history of Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, the Baltic States and maybe touch on events in the surrounding nations.
Conditions for at least the first few years may well resemble Mad Max or a new Dark Age. But eventually I would see new city states rising from the ruins and eventually forming new nations. Central Germany will largely be a radioactive wasteland but the new states could arise around the margins of the Dead Zone as it might be known.
Switzerland may ver well pay an important role in this.But do they preserve their traditonal neutrality or will they unavoidably become entangled in events beyond their borders. And every Swiss man is a trained soldier through a compulsory period of national service - something that could be extended for much longer in the post nuclear world....
So we've all got Ericksson phones then?
Given our plans to send a lot of the BBC to Wood Norton and have a broadcasting studio in each RGHQ the corporation would survive pretty well.
The real question is, who would be playing Doctor Who at this point?
I'd start writing my Czechoslovak spinoff again if I had help from one of our Czech board members.
I'd prefer to make it a collaborative work, it would be so much better if done that way. And someone could finally start the Polish and/or Hungarian spinoff concurrently with that, while Hörnla and whoever else wants to could cover the survivors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.