A Shift in Priorities

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Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
(Ambrose Bierce)

The widespread disaffection palpable during the visit of the Imperial Family was still boiling, when the Middle Africans were summoned to cast the ballot in the provincial elections on Sunday, September 24th, 1933. Generally, there was a massive turnout as Plenipotentiary von Schnee’s preparations had taken great care to facilitate voting even in remote rural areas and hardly accessible jungle environments.

Already before the elections, it had been obvious that forming provincial governments might become an onerous task – as socialists and religious parties found it difficult to work together – and because the religious parties did not like to co-operate between each other.

In Groß-Togoland, the religious parties won the majority of seats in the new provincial parliament. The Protestant BMC (Bund Mittelafrikanischer Christen – Union of Middle African Christians) won 25 of the 59 seats, the Catholic AKU (Afrikanische Katholiken-Union – Union of African Catholics) 9 and the Jewish PG (Partei Gottes – God’s Party) 1. The moderate SDPMA (Sozial-Demokratische Partei Mittelafrikas – Middle African Social-Democratic Party) obtained 17 seats, while 7 seats went to independent candidates.
After seemingly endless negotiations and debates, BMC, PG and five independent representatives formed the government.

In Südwestafrika, the provincial parliament had 27 seats, of which the HP (Herero-Partei – Herero Party) won 9, the OB (Owambo-Bund– Ovambo Union) 5, and the NNU (Neue-Nama-Union – New Nama Union) 1. The SDPMA got 7 seats and the VBS (Volksbund-Südwest – the party of the German colonists) 2. The remaining three seats went to independent candidates.
Here, HP and OB quickly agreed to form a coalition government.

In Oberkamerun, there were 63 seats in the provincial parliament. The radical-socialist RNP (Rote Neger-Partei – Red Negro Party) won 4 of them, the SDPMA 29, the BMC 17, the AKU 3 and the PG 1. The BBB (Bamileke-Bamu-Bund – Union of the Bamileke and Bamu Tribes) got 7 seats, and 2 went to independent candidates.
SDPMA and RNP joined forces and formed the government.

In Unterkamerun, the provincial parliament had 77 seats. The RNP won 16, the SDPMA 35, the BMC 12, the AKU 2, while 12 seats went to independent candidates.
In this province, the SDPMA and five independent representatives agreed to form the government.

In Ubangi-Schari, the provincial parliament had 49 seats. The RNP got 2, the SDPMA 29, the BMC 9, and 9 were won by independent candidates.
A clear case, as the SDPMA alone was strong enough to furnish the government.

In Nordwestkongo, the provincial parliament had 77 seats. The SDPMA gained 26, the BMC 14, the AKU 4, and the PG 2. The BP (Bakongo-Partei – the party of the local Congo tribes) won 19 seats, while 12 seats went to independent candidates.
The BP, allied with BMC, PG and five independent deputies formed the government.

In Zentralkongo, there were 67 seats to be distributed. The RNP gained 5, the SDPMA 23, the BMC 5, the AKU 17, and the BP 13, while 4 were won by independent candidates.
SDPMA and BP formed the government.

In Südkongo, 73 seats were up for election. The RNP scored 14, the SDPMA 28, the BMC 2, the AKU 19, and the BP 7, while independent candidates took 3.
SDPMA and RNP formed the government.

The Tabora provincial parliament had 77 seats. The RNP won 9, the SDPMA 35, the BMC 10, the AKU 7, the SV (Sukuma-Volksunion - union of the Sukuma tribes) 8, and another 8 went to independent candidates.
SDPMA and SV agreed to form the government.

The Ostküste (east coast) provincial parliament hat 73 seats, of which the RNP won 13, the SDPMA 31, the BMC 8, the AKU 7, the PG 2, and the ML (Makonde-Liga – league of the Makonde tribe) 4, while 8 were taken by independent candidates.
SDPMA and RNP formed the government.

Thus, in seven out of 10 provinces, the SDPMA provided the provincial first minister, while two provinces had tribal first ministers, and one province a religious premier.
 
Tribalism seems to be pretty much butterflied away in the party system - with the exception of Südwest. Or are the parties locally dominated by certain tribes? Probably the religious and political divisions dominate whatever remains of tribal/ethnic divisions. IMHO that's an improvement, as political opinion can change over time and is a free choice, whereas this does not hold for ethnicity.

By the way, given the fast modernization of Mittelafrika the religious divisions should vanish pretty much as they did in Western Europe IOTL anyway.
 
Or are the parties locally dominated by certain tribes?

Most of the independent deputies have tribal background, and there is also some tribal influence on local party level, but, generally, tribalism is on the retreat - the German system, where the state replaces family and tribe as most influential factor for individual wellfare, has successfully been transfered to MA.
 

abc123

Banned
Most of the independent deputies have tribal background, and there is also some tribal influence on local party level, but, generally, tribalism is on the retreat - the German system, where the state replaces family and tribe as most influential factor for individual wellfare, has successfully been transfered to MA.

I know that many peopl here have said that about 100 times, but IMHO, Middl Africa is way too prosperous ITTL in only about 10 years of development...
Maybe in about 20 or 30 years with the same level of German aid, but in 10 years, IMHO that's implausible, even if whole Germany works only for Middle Africa...
;)
 
"Rote Neger Partei"? Great :D You really made me laugh. I gather that the N-word (German version) doesn't have any negative connotations and will not at some point in time be abolished by the professionally concerned PC crowd?
 
Hopefully the tragic pattern that has repeated itself again and again in post-colonial Africa can be avoided. Where whenever there is an election one side declares victory and the other declares war.

The early establishment of democratic institutions is a good step. The orderly transition of power being the next step. Making it so that the despotic dictatorships that largely contributed to making much of Sub-Saharan Africa such a dystopian hellhole in OTL can be avoided as much as possible.
 
And that no man might buy or sell, save that he had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of its name.
(Bible – Revelation 13:17)

Two occurrences caused Omar Bradley to pause and think.

The first occurrence was the metamorphosis of Alvin C. York, who had turned from a thuggish alcoholic on the fringe of deliriousness into a powerful-voiced preacher and prophet.
York firmly believed that the Lord had manifested in the all-embracing light he had seen and had shown him the path to eternal salvation. Characteristically, York had returned to the principles of the Churches of Christ in Christian Union, which he knew from childhood and adolescence. Denouncing all forms of violence and proposing a life in accordance with the Holy Scripture, his message had not resonated well with the Disgruntled Grunts, however – and, after several unsuccessful attempts to proselytise the bikers, York finally had gone back to Tennessee, where his family lived, leaving behind all his weapons.

While Bradley was unimpressed by York’s religious teachings and his sermons, he marvelled at York’s ability to return to his roots, discarding everything that had made him a sottish bike gangster. Could he, Bradley, do the same? – And was it desirable at all to return to his roots?
His wife, Mary, had divorced long ago – and married some other dude. His body was ruined; his former sportsmanship was nothing but a remote and bitter souvenir. His once successful military career had ended in misery.

No, Bradley, eventually had decided, going back was not an option for him. But perhaps he could move forward. And it was the second occurrence, a newspaper column written by Ernie Pyle about his interview with retired Brigadier General George S. Patton, that provided him with food for thought in this direction.

Bradley faintly remembered having heard of Patton as a capricious cavalry staff officer during the Great Southern Conquest, but he never had met the man in person. He had recorded Patton’s conduct as brigade commander in Mexico City as portrayed in the US media; and he was vaguely aware that Patton had been tasked to purge USFIM – and that he had resigned from the job.

Patton was absolutely right about honour. Bradley didn’t care much about the restitution of the US Army; but honour was an essential element in all human dealings. The Disgruntled Grunts were lacking honour; this was why his attempts to establish a free biker republic had failed.
So, how could this disorderly and forever drunken and drugged outfit be turned into a something that knew honour?

The Disgruntled Grunts were like a tribe of savages. But no savage tribe could survive when individuals were free to get drunk and drugged whenever they liked. There was no realistic way of banning alcohol and drugs, but perhaps one could ritualise their ingestion. There had to be times, when everybody was sober, and there had to be times, when a jamboree, a wild orgy, was celebrated. And there had to be a set of rules, rites, initiations, songs, dances, games…

This could not be forced upon the bikers; they had to accept it by their own choice. Soon, Bradley was seen limping around and discussing his ideas with people. Some were too far gone to be brought over, but many saw reason in Bradley’s arguments.
In a gathering, a comfortable majority voted for Bradley’s proposals – and the group still loyal to Bradley started following rules, while those dissenting were coaxed to move away.

In future, alcohol and drugs would only be ingested in the time from 18:00 hours to midnight. That gave ample opportunity to get sloshed or high for those who wanted or needed it, but made sure that everybody was sober during daytime. Of course, neither nicotine nor cannabis were considered drugs.

As could be expected, all bikers addicted to opium derivates had dissented, as had some hardcore alcoholics, but after these had been convinced to leave, a remarkable change occurred in the small town. With disbelief, the citizens noticed that – out of a sudden – they were facing sober outlaws during business hours, which – with the exception of the saloon owner – everybody considered a change to the positive.

At 18:00 hours, the lot would assemble in the saloon, and after the day’s night watch had been determined either by voluntary announcement or in a game of musical chairs or throwing dice, the leader of the night watch would declare open the jamboree.

Bradley was glad that his scheme had been adopted so smoothly, and was already brooding how to take advantage of the vastly improved performance of his outfit.
 
Grat update, especially this:
At 18:00 hours, the lot would assemble in the saloon, and after the day’s night watch had been determined either by voluntary announcement or in a game of musical chairs or throwing dice, the leader of the night watch would declare open the jamboree.
 
Intresting development, there. How many Disgruntled Grunts made the transition that Bradley proposed? Depending on the size of the outfit, it could develop into´one hell of a headache for the US government now that the main reason for expansion and improvement (the near-constant cataclysmic inebriation) has been largely reined in.
For civilians, they are heavily armed, they retain much of their military skills and the leadership and integration principles make them a defacto paramilitary unit (a kind of Freikorps). And most of them are completely denuded of any inhibitions to use violence.
This could go all the way to an armed insurrection in the American southwest...
 
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Умный в гору не пойдёт, умный гору обойдёт.
(A smart person will not climb a mountain; a smart person will go around it. – Russian proverb)

That a former ‘special’ secretary of Russian prime minister Boris V. Savinkov was responsible for the suicide attempt of Tsarevich Vladimir Kirillovich had fraught the relations between Savinkov and the Imperial Couple with high tension. Especially the Tsarina, Viktoria Feodorovna, behaved irreconcilably and haunted Savinkov with bitter hatred and slander.

Savinkov had of course tasked General Diterikhs with hunting down Lera Bobkova, but – so far – the trail ended in Byalistok. Frajln Wach turned out to be impenetrable for the foreign division of the Okhrana, at least in direct assault. An indirect approach could be made via the Seichl, the secret service of the Heymshtot, but that would require time – and something to barter…

The Tsarevich’s life was safe, but he had to be kept drugged in order to prevent him from another suicide attempt. Thus, he had to remain hospitalised and couldn’t attend school. His sisters, Maria and Kira, and his mother were attending him in turns at the university hospital in Moscow. There was talk of trying to get one of the famous German psychoanalysts to cure the boy.

Savinkov, for his part, wouldn’t dream of forsaking the service of the ‘special’ secretaries; they provided the delightful relaxation he needed for carrying on with his onerous office. The current one, Katya, a fully developed blonde aged fifteen, was a genius of fellatio… And, damn, it wasn’t his fault that he felt so attracted by teenage girls; this predilection for youth had slowly developed over the last years.

Savinkov had asked the Tsar to stop his wife’s semi-public denouncements, but Kyril I had meekly confessed to have no influence on the behaviour of his spouse in this matter. Viktoria had already lost two children in her first marriage, and the threat to lose another one right now had almost pushed her over the rim.

So, while the Okhrana was busy suppressing publication of the Tsarina’s allegations in the media, Savinkov tried to do business as usual. He had briefly considered to go on an inspection tour, but finally decided that it would be unwise to yield the floor to Viktoria Feodorovna.

The rebuilding of the Russian armed forces was still ongoing, but Matutin’s conscript army for educating farmers’ sons had already been shelved. War minister Pyotr Krasnov and chief of staff Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky were in the process of creating powerful modern forces. Money for that was available abundantly as Russian economy was booming.

Matutin’s strategy of repose and recovery had transformed the nation and created a flourishing domestic market. Just like before the Great War, Russian growth rates again were record-breaking. Even the massive influx of cheap British merchandise lately hadn’t changed that.

Electrification had reached the remotest villages some years ago already; and the construction of roads suitable for motor vehicles was well advanced. Russia was too large to rely on railroads only, one also needed road and air transport. Russian engineers and traffic planners had invented a special kind of motorway, where high-speed motor vehicles could drive on two lanes in each direction and without any crossroads. A first one of these avtomobilnaja trassa had recently been opened between Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod, a second one between Moscow and St. Petersburg was close to completion, while the construction of a motorway ring around Moscow had just begun. – Nevertheless, the construction of the second Trans-Siberian main rail line was pushed ahead vigorously, as were projects of damming rivers for increased power production.

The reconstruction of Moscow, paid by the international Jewish community in recompense for the establishment of the Heymshtot, was complete. Savinkov prided himself that he resided in the world’s most modern metropolis, which – in large part – looked like old Moscow – but only on the façade…

Despite his volatile disposition, Savinkov did not consider war an option at the moment. There were two objectives on his hidden agenda: the Ukraine and the Primorskaya Oblast. However, as long as relations with the German bloc were cordial, the Ukrainian question remained moot. Should, however, relations deteriorate some day… – In the Far East, infrastructure had to be created first. This was a task that would require several years still – only to complete the second main rail line and interconnect it with the old line. Relations to China were uneasy, and the slit eyes were concentrating forces near the border; but for the moment Russia had only made preparations for a defensive battle in case the Chinese should stage an invasion. There were no plans for an offensive to regain the Primorskaya Oblast – yet…

What neither Savinkov nor the Tsarina were taking into account in their quarrel was that the ‘special’ secretaries indeed wielded great influence on Savinkov’s decisions. By keeping him tension-free and satisfied all around the clock, they made him much more reasonable and moderate than he would have been otherwise.
 
What neither Savinkov nor the Tsarina were taking into account in their quarrel was that the ‘special’ secretaries indeed wielded great influence on Savinkov’s decisions. By keeping him tension-free and satisfied all around the clock, they made him much more reasonable and moderate than he would have been otherwise.

Considering the guy has been a terrorist IOTL, and proud of it, some sanity injected into him (or, insanity ejaculated out of him???:D) might do him some good.
 

abc123

Banned
The Tsarevich’s life was safe, but he had to be kept drugged in order to prevent him from another suicide attempt. Thus, he had to remain hospitalised and couldn’t attend school. His sisters, Maria and Kira, and his mother were attending him in turns at the university hospital in Moscow. There was talk of trying to get one of the famous German psychoanalysts to cure the boy.


A pair of "special secretaries for Tsarevich" should solve the problem...
:D
 
The longer a blind man lives, the more he sees.
(Yiddish proverb)

With curiosity, Isaak Teitelbaum was surveying his visitor, who didn’t seem to be impressed at all by Teitelbaum’s shiny new office on the 60th floor of a glittering tower block in Nai-Byalistok.
Well, thought Teitelbaum with slight disenchantment, the chap comes from Moscow; and his office is probably much more modern than mine.

Boris Jakovlevich Bazarov had played an important role in the annihilation of the Sklyansky Gang in Panama in 1925, and he was generally considered as one of the coming men of the Okhrana.
Teitelbaum had a strong inkling what Bazarov might want, but he left it to the Russian to explain why he had come to the capital of the Heymshtot.

Like he had anticipated, Teitelbaum was now told the story of ruthless Lera Bobkova and the poor Tsarevich – and of Bobkova’s disappearance in Byalistok.
“Thus, I’m turning to you now” Bazarov closed his explanation “to inquire whether you can help us – and what your price might be…”

Quite to the point, mused Teitelbaum, and unhesitantly delivered to the right person. It appears that the Okhrana guys have made their homework well…
“I can help you.” he replied “And my price isLuba Boikova…”

This seemed to surprise Bazarov, as his eyes shortly widened.
“The wannabe assassin of Skoropadsky?” he muttered. “I thought they’d already hanged her.”
“They sentenced her to death, but then Skoropadsky decided that just hanging her would make it too easy for her. So, they publicly announced they’d hanged her for the sake of deterrence – but in fact they keep her in a secret prison of the Dershavnoy Bespeky near Kiev. She’s getting raped once or twice a day and is constantly subjected to other kinds of unkind behaviour.”
“Quite a vindictive character this Skoropadsky.” said Bazarov. “Is Boikova a Jew?”

Teitelbaum didn’t answer this question. Why he wanted Boikova was nothing that Bazarov needed to know.
“If you want Bobkova, let me shake hands with Boikova – and I’ll tell you where Bobkova currently is and which name she bears.”
Bazarov looked as if he had bitten on a piece of lemon, while preparing to leave.
“As you can imagine, I can’t decide this alone. I’ll be back as soon as possible. – Thank you for your time.”

The Okhrana wouldn’t like this, but if they really wanted Bobkova they would strike the deal. The Russians had been lucky recently and picked up a Ukrainian spy ring prying about Russian defence installations and the Russian command network. Most of the spies were Russian nationals, but the Okhrana had also caught two Ukrainian agent controllers. These two men – if they talked – could inflict enormous damage on the Dershavnoy Bespeky. The Ukrainians therefore would – hopefully – let go unlucky Boikova in order to get their precious agents back.

Teitelbaum hoped – well, he was almost certain – that the Russians and the Ukrainians would do what he wanted. He didn’t care a damn about Luba Boikova, but one of the Ukrainian agent controllers was also working for the Seichl – and could also inflict enormous damage on the Heymshtot’s secret service if he talked.
 
What tangled webs............

Why am I not surprised that a Ukrainian spy ring getting busted also nets a Heymshtot agent in the process. With how this TL is progressing, regarding national and corporate espionage, before too long you wont be able to throw a rock in Berlin, Moscow or Istanbul without it hitting three spies before it his the ground.

As for the agent in question, at this point its about preventing him from talking. Rescue if possible, if not insure silence by all expedient means. In order to reserve the network sometimes someone gets the shaft.
 
If the Army and the Navy ever look on Heaven’s scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by The United States Marines.
(from the US Marines’ Hymn)

Where Brigadier General Patton had failed in the US Army, US Marine Corps Commandant Major General Smedley Butler had succeeded. When rebuilding the divisions of the Marine Corps after the Trans-Atlantic War, Butler had impregnated them with pride, honour and sense of duty. – While outspokenly critical of US military engagement in Mexico and the Caribbean, Butler had nevertheless created a force that was overall immune against the corruption, which had pulled down the US Army – and those units of the US Air Force involved in the operations.

The Marine Corps divisions deployed to Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico thus were quite another matter than the Army outfits they replaced. They weren’t invincible, but proved to be much harder and much more costly to defeat. However, the six divisions couldn’t put more feet on the ground than the three relieved army corps; thus, effective control of the terrain wasn’t possible. After incurring some painful losses, the guerrillas soon understood that direct confrontation wasn’t expedient – and resorted to bombing, booby trapping and hit-and-run ambushes.

The well disciplined Marines were much less prone to conduct excessive retaliations and atrocities than the Army units had been, after having been exposed to guerrilla savagery for months and years. And Major General Ben Hebard Fuller, the field commander of the Marine force, did his best to have affairs remain like that, well recognising that moderation might help reducing the support of the guerrillas in the general population. – Once the four additional Marine divisions authorised had finished their basic training, one could proceed and impose controlled areas grid by grid.

Thus, while the Army had been routed in Mexico, the Marines had achieved a stabilisation and notable calming-down of the situation on the islands. Especially on Cuba, some moderate white elements of the populace were beginning to discuss a peaceful solution of the conflict, a development strongly supported by Benjamin Sumner Welles, the Special Envoy of the USA to Cuba. A similar development was palpable on Puerto Rico. – On Hispaniola, and especially in francophone and pre-dominantly black Haiti, the détente was much less notable.

In Nicaragua, Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino’s ‘Grupo Armado Liberal’ had defeated the American puppet government’s troops and mercenaries, and Sandino had installed his own autocratic – and increasingly unpopular – regime in the ruins of Managua, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 – and by Sandino’s siege in 1932.

In Honduras, in contrast, President Tiburcio Carías Andino, a former general, had defeated the insurgents and ruled as strongman based on the army and US support. While still paying lip service to democracy, Carías was slowly and methodically strengthening his hold on power.

In El Salvador, Augustin Farabundo Martí Rodríguez and his insurgent peasants’ army had won the struggle against the US puppet government of President Hernándes and installed a socialist – called communist by many in the US – government under his leadership.

In Guatemala, the insurgents, strongly supported by Mexican fighters, also had been successful, and twenty-nine years old guerrilla leader Juan José Arévalo Bermejo had proclaimed ‘Spiritual Socialism’, but in fact steered a course towards democracy – however, intent on disempowering completely the influence of the US fruit companies and strengthening national solidarity.

Yukatec had virtually been overrun by Mexican fighting men in 1932 and a puppet government been installed that bowed to the wishes of the Mexican ‘advisors’. However, President Antonio Soberanis Gómez, a former labour movement activist, had his own ideas about a socialist future of his country – and fostered intimate contacts with the government of the former colonial ruler, Great Britain.

Again, Costa Rica had not been involved in the bloody turmoil in Central America and remained a peaceful country ruled by democratically elected institutions.
And in Panama, strong US presence and the ruling oligarchy, which profited greatly from US presence, had made sure that things remained quiet.
 
So is there a difference between TTL Middle America and OTL Middle America other than maybe the names of the strongmen and US support have changed? What a waste of money and lives the Great Southern conquest was.

Now on the islands it looks better. the Marines are doing well in doing not much. Once they get that additional divisions that might change, but I actually think not. Problem of course is that in the "peaceful" Cuba of the Marines corruption and drug trade blossom just like they did in Mexico, only that in this case the US military is not involved, so US civilians will do the dirty work, I guess. Probably lower management of US friut companies is paid on purpose since everybody knows that they have ample opportunities to make an extra buck.
 
So is there a difference between TTL Middle America and OTL Middle America other than maybe the names of the strongmen and US support have changed? What a waste of money and lives the Great Southern conquest was.

Maybe it's good for them to get their Vietnam early. If this happened 40 years later the ammount of lives lost would have been substantially higher.
 
Maybe it's good for them to get their Vietnam early. If this happened 40 years later the ammount of lives lost would have been substantially higher.

But did the US learn anything from the Mexican adventure? In OTL the leasons of Vietnam were forgotten after a generation leading to the next quagmire, Iraq.
 
¡ Hi ! ¡ INTERESTING !:cool:.

About Lera, maybe she will it be dream about happy life she going to live, but something in how to say, my guts say that Lera´s life maybe will it be very short and very painfully...;).

Yep, the Hemyslot are learning the leassons that good intelligence services are necesary for the survival and the prosperity of that country.

From Middleafrica elections, the good news is that democracy works sweet in that nation:cool:, the bad news is that i supose that country are doing small steps for becoming some kind of African superpower:eek::D:eek:.

The York´s and Bradley groups, organizations i supose that maybe will became very important movements when ocurr the great great epic depresion, yep, maybe that class of peoples, groups maybe and say maybe can it be salving America:), when dark times occur..

And finnally about the Marines, ¡ NAW !;):D;), the corruption and decadence maybe will it be ocurr in some pacific way, as free drugs, free booze, small local mafia favors, and some time time after, well ¡ voila ! please see another decadent/dark organization;):D;).

Peace, good night and good luck:).
 
But did the US learn anything from the Mexican adventure? In OTL the leasons of Vietnam were forgotten after a generation leading to the next quagmire, Iraq.

I think one thing they "learned" is that a major war requires conscription. difficult to see whether that works in their advantage. If the next war is another Southern adventure IMHO it wouldn't.

Another thing they might learn is to avoid the corruption of the forces employed and a "better" handling of the local population.
 
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