A Shift in Priorities

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[FONT=&quot]Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot](Chinese proverb) [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The long awaited Chinese general elections took place in the first half of October 1933. The initial intention to have the whole country cast the ballot on one day had eventually been abandoned as preparations proceeded. There were two days, October 5th, when the voters could directly elect the deputies of the provincial assemblies, which in turn were to elect the delegates for the federal house – or Senate, and October 10th, when the people elected the electors, which in turn were to elect the deputies of the national house – or Parliament – of the National Assembly. Finally, on October 16th, the provincial assemblies elected the senators and the electors the parliamentarians. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Preparations for the elections had taken almost two years since the fall of General Chiang ‘s rule, and there had been many issues to be considered. Should analphabets be allowed to vote? Should women be allowed to vote? At which minimum age should a person be allowed to vote and at which minimum age could a person become eligible? Should there be a provision that only tax payers were allowed to vote? – The Round Table had seen many heated debates, but eventually a very liberal electoral edict had been the result. The Indian Federation would cease to be the largest democracy on earth and be overtaken by – the Chinese Empire.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The question whether the Great Qing Empire should be allowed to continue or be replaced by the Second Chinese Republic had been another highly contentious question. That the Xuantong Emperor had succeeded siring a heir to the throne in his unhappy and listless attempts caused by General Chiang – and that China could claim to be the oldest monarchy on earth – had finally turned the balance. While the left – the Marxists and socialists – still had voted for a republic, the other groups represented at the Round Table had chosen to retain monarchy. After all, there was not the slightest danger that Emperor Puyi would ever meddle with politics.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]When the dust finally settled at the ballots, the members of the Round Table had to acknowledge that a group not represented by them had won the elections: the peasants’ parties – there were five of them – had won on provincial and national level. In several provinces they were able to form the government all alone; in most other provinces no government was possible without them. In Parliament, they provided 421 from a total of 937 representatives; and in Senate 48 of the 100 senators. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The Unified Left – Marxists and socialists – came off second best, winning 208 seats in Parliament and 23 in Senate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The Nationalists, a mixture of right-wingers and militarists, scored third with 143 seats in Parliament and 17 in Senate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The United Liberals, where laissez-faire capitalists and social-liberals had joined forces, got 101 seats in Parliament and 8 in Senate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]69 Parliament seats were taken by independent candidates, as were 4 in Senate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Invariably, there were many allegations of fraud and vote-buying, but generally the elections had gone well – and most national and international observers agreed that the results were acceptable. In the end, 6 Parliament deputies were disqualified – and replaced in by-elections, lowering the seats of the Combined Peasants to 415, while raising those of the Unified Left to 212 and the United Liberals to 103.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]By early November 1933, the shuffling for a majority in Parliament was in full flow. Feng Hào, the leading man of the Combined Peasants, of course demanded to be elected for Imperial Chancellor, although many people thought he lacked the education necessary for this office.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, nobody becomes the leader of a huge mass party without the ability to broker power and manipulate fellow citizens. Feng might lack experience on the political floor and education, but he did not lack assertiveness and thirst for power.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The people of the Unified Left were far too intellectual for Feng and his cronies; thus, although the Marxist-socialists propagated land reform, negotiations with them soon bogged down. The Nationalists, who had the popular Generals Liou and Bai and the highly respected Zhèng Xiàoxū, once chancellor of Manchukuo, in their ranks, took advantage of this and paid court to Feng.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thus, slowly and intricately, a conservative coalition between the Combined Peasants and the Nationalists was forming in endless talks and negotiations.[/FONT]
 
I have a question what happen to Mr. Mao? Kinda of disappeared out of the picture once I remember him being Bauer's clerk. Was he wiped out of history books during Chiang's purges or what?
 
I have a question what happen to Mr. Mao? Kinda of disappeared out of the picture once I remember him being Bauer's clerk. Was he wiped out of history books during Chiang's purges or what?

From a post some hundreds of entries back:

"Even Mao Zedong, then Bauer’s private secretary and later-on author of the impressive and comprehensive “History of Modern China 4607 - 4657”, doesn’t shed light on this aspect."

Went scientific and became a respected scholar of history.
 
Ah just went back and read that myself. So, he sticks out of politics and such I guess that's good. Still any chances of any other cameos by him. And I keep asking what the situation in Eastern Europe since the Greek intervention and Balkan War. And hows what's that well I suppose lone Bolshevik up to? If you don't mind me asking.
 
Btw I love what you have done with the small inner story I had created. Sorry, I have had a lot of things on my hand and hadn't been able to continue. And you combined the story with the African-American gangster well. I was intending to make him like Denzel Washington from American Gangster(forget his historical name) and you did that well. But I have more time on my hands now maybe I can come up with something new. Maybe an underground anarchist organization in America???
 
rast, I've been wondering, how do you keep all of the characters and events straight?

I have the plain text files (okay, it sometimes takes quite some time to search out the one important post from months or years ago) and I have a small note pad of notes about election results, governments, population numbers, capital ships, all not very sophisticated...
 
I have the plain text files (okay, it sometimes takes quite some time to search out the one important post from months or years ago) and I have a small note pad of notes about election results, governments, population numbers, capital ships, all not very sophisticated...

Oh. I was thinking you either had multitudes of computer files detailing everything.:)
 
Eastern Europe has been treated in many recent updates, just reading them helps. - The Wanderer enjoys the tranquil and amiable atmosphere of Kibris, getting older but not wiser...

I've read I like that you've mentioned more on Ukraine. I would really like to know what's going on in the other balkan nations Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Greece, etc. Particularly Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria and their militaries.
 
Never!

First the US shall work closely with Churchill to secure an annexation of Canada.

Then the US will turn around and go after Mexico and the rest of Central America.

Then . . . Then the United States of North America shall be totally awesome and cool.

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Ok. Probably not but it'd still be pretty rockin. (Just combining America and Canada would be awesome.)
 
A North American Union would be too large, the population too spread out particularly in the west. Both the US and Canada have problems already with different regions having different interests. In the US this resulted in the civil war.

I hate to rain on your parade Anarchy but here in Oregon there is a sizable anarchist contingent. Most of them could have been the inspiration for the Peoples Front of Judea from Monty Python's The Life of Brian. The rest being members of various state and local law enforcement agencies. I have a hard time believing that such a group operating in TTLs America would be much different. Except there would probably more cops, just like the Communist party meetings in the 1950s in OTL where dues paid by FBI agents were rumored to be the main source funds for the Communist party.
 
[FONT=&quot]Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot](Oscar Wilde)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]With uneasiness, Plenipotentiary Heinrich von Schnee was scrutinising the first ministers of the ten provinces. For once, he was glad that General Max von Bauer, who specially for the occasion of the first joint session had come to Daressalam from Deygbo, the former Monrovia, was sitting at his side.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]There were:[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Bishop Erich Mawusi Patalasi from Groß-Togoland, a proud Ewe chief and Protestant leader, scion of a prominent and influential family, and a fierce proponent of a Greater Middle Africa.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hosea Kutako from Südwestafrika, since 1925 leader of the Herero people, not really a friend of the Germans – but keen to get as much German aid and money for his people as possible.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Erika Djapailo from Oberkamerun, considered the Middle African Rosa Luxemburg, a talented speaker and a stout voice for the rights of the working class – and the rights of African women.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Karl Oskar Mombuko from Unterkamerun, railway sleeper layer from profession and [/FONT][FONT=&quot]an experienced labour union man, renowned for his anti-capitalist rallies and his initiative to socialise the big trusts.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Doctor Fritz Tisharaze from Ubangi-Schari, a physician and moderate socialist, well known nationwide for his newspaper columns propagating racial non-discrimination of people not born in Middle Africa.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Chief David Bokanda from Nordwestkongo, head of the Bakongo Party, a strong voice for Middle African supremacy – as long as the Bakongo got their fair share.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Pierre Madidi from Zentralkongo, printer from profession and advocate of international workers’ solidarity and disempowerment of the big capitalists, however, also a sworn enemy of violence.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Raoul Kaseba from Südkongo, a mine worker and labour union man, known for his radical views concerning socialisation of resources and means of production, not averse to ‘just’ worker’s violence.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Principal Eberhard Zendajuru from Tabora, a very moderate socialist, philanthropist and pacifist, known for his exchange of letters with Albert Schweitzer and Albert Einstein.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Otto Mwaya from Ostküste, a former dock worker and labour union man, said to be a pragmatic realist and cunning negotiator, known for his book “Karl Marx’ Value, Price and Profit in Middle Africa”.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]These ten people would – from now on – exert influence on von Schnee’s plans and actions, would claim funds hitherto at von Schnee’s disposal – and would try to bring their own concerns to fruition. Things would become much more complicated and troublesome...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He held no love for socialists; their world improvement attitude did nothing to really improve the world – but with seven socialists the council of first ministers undoubtedly would steer a socialist course. Where until now rational administrative action had dominated Middle Africa, there would be political manoeuvring and class conflict.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“Well, Your Excellency,” Erika Djapailo opened the talks “I hope you understand that your arbitrary rule ends with this meeting. – We should today define the new rules how Middle Africa will be governed until independence. We – the First Ministers of the ten provinces – are ready to give you two votes in our council – and to accept General von Bauer as counsellor in matters military. – But it ought to be clear that the majority decision of this council will decide matters in future.”[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Staring into ten smiling black faces, of which nine nodded in approval of what Djapailo had just said, von Schnee gulped severely. At his side, Max von Bauer emitted a snarling sound...[/FONT]
 
If anyone in the German establishment is surprised that the Herero aren't too hot on them that person needs to be shot for terminal stupidity.
 
Never!

First the US shall work closely with Churchill to secure an annexation of Canada.



Ok. Probably not but it'd still be pretty rockin. (Just combining America and Canada would be awesome.)

We did it in 1812, and we'll do it again. Don't fuck with Canada!
 
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